Rebels With a Cause: a tale of the Underground
by Captain Hilts
Summary: Set a few months before the events of Jak II. Life in the Underground, and Keira's struggle to be accepted by Torn. Why is he so unwilling to let her join? There must be something beneath the surface...
1. Storms

It was raining again. Thunder boomed and a sheet of rain fell on the buildings crammed close together in the poor part of the city. Lightning streaked the sky, illuminating a dark alley way. The secret hideout of the Underground movement had long since fallen silent after a hard days' work. All except one man had turned in for the night.

Torn stood at his usual table, pouring over the latest round of maps and Intel he'd received that day. He _was_ tired, but…

"Dammit…" he mumbled, thumping the table with his fist.

He was almost certain that the Baron's right hand man, Errol, was responsible for most of the strife the Underground agents went through on a daily basis. Errol was the town's racing champion, the Commander of the Krimzon Guard, a grand leader if there ever was one…

…and almost certainly the biggest wank Torn had ever met. He'd served the city once as a Captain in the Krimzon Guard, and had met Errol numerous times, enduring his snide remarks about the way things were going. Torn suppressed a shiver. Just thinking about that guy made him angry.

He fought off a yawn, convincing himself that he wasn't tired; he couldn't be. He was the leader of the Underground. There was no time for sleep. He sighed. The sound of the agents turning over in their creaky beds was a tantalizing reality. Sleep…

Shaking his head, he groped for a cup of coffee he'd brewed earlier. He grimaced at the taste; it was not good. His eyelids felt like lead. He was almost asleep standing up, when the floorboards creaked in the secret hallway behind him. Torn spun on his heels.

It was Keira, a girl he had only recently befriended ('tolerated' was more like it). She'd proved her worth as a good mechanic for the Underground; Torn had been impressed by the speed in which she'd repaired a few of their beaten zoomers. Keira had wide green eyes, aqua hair and a slender frame. She held herself as if she were cold, barefoot and dressed in shorts and a long-sleeve t-shirt.

"What're you doing awake?" she asked, "It's half-past midnight."

Torn shrugged. "Nothin.' Just my job."

He turned back to his 'work.' Keira rolled her eyes, shuffling out of the secret hall way. She left the door open leading back into the bunker, stepping up beside Torn.

"C'mon. I know you're tired."

Torn snorted. "Not really."

"Oh yeah?"

Torn just looked at her. Keira sighed again. She studied him for a moment, the overhead light casting dark shadows across his face.

"Torn, you're exhausted," she said matter-of-factly, "You're killing yourself here. You don't even have a bed!"

The former Krimzon Guard shot her a look, and she slapped a hand over her mouth, remembering the sleeping agents nearby.

"I don't have a bed," Torn went on, "Because I gave it to the Kid."

"Oh…that was sweet of you."

Torn muttered something incoherent. Keira crossed her arms, regarding him like an older brother. He was scanning the papers in front of him once again, as if trying to ignore she was there.

"Promise me you'll go to bed soon."

"Hey, last time I checked, _I_ was the one givin' orders," said Torn gruffly, "You've got a lot of nerve bossing me around in my own place."

Keira had a trace of fire behind her eyes, now.

"You need sleep! You can't run this thing by yourself!"

"What…did I just say?"

Keira pursed her lips, keeping a steely-eyed gaze on him. She squared her jaw, ready to argue on. This guy was some piece of work…

"I already respect you, Torn. I know you work hard; I know you know what's best."

Torn heaved a sigh. Why couldn't she just leave him alone? He was beginning to regret letting her stay the night at the hideout. Next time he'd make her sleep by the entrance.

"Leave me to my job, will ya?" he snapped.

Keira walked up to the table. She put a hand on his shoulder. He turned his head, but only slightly.

"Good night," she said.

Torn said nothing. Keira smirked knowingly. She tapped him on the shoulder a few times saying,

"I'm just going to lie down in my nice, _warm_ bed, cover up, and sink down into my _big _pillow…."

"Beat it!" Torn fired.

Keira only smiled, trotting back down the hallway, leaving him behind. Torn sighed as the secret door closed. He was definitely making her sleep by the entrance next time.

**********

The rain was what got him. It drummed on the roof in a rhythmic beat, occasionally interrupted by a low rumble of thunder. Torn had completely given up awhile ago. He had fallen asleep slumped over the desk, snoring. His dreams were short, if not non-existent these days. They only lasted around a few minutes before he snapped awake for a brief second. Right now he was in a deep sleep. Just blackness.

There was a dull throb in his arm. He stirred, but did nothing. Suddenly, a sharp needle of pain thrust him from sleep. He sat up straight, looking around wildly. It took him a minute to realize what had happened.

"Ah, jeez," he grumbled, running a hand through this dread locked hair, "What're _you_ doing awake?"

The bright blue-eyed little boy was standing before him, looking up at him helplessly. Torn massaged his face with a hand.

"What is it, Kid? What's the matter?" he asked groggily.

Thunder cracked outside, rattling the tiny hideout. The kid jumped nearly two feet, latching himself to Torn's leg. He grimaced, making a move to shake him off. He could feel the boy's little heart pounding against him. Torn sighed. He pried the kid off of him as gently as possible.

"I get ya," he said, "It's the storm, isn't it?"

The boy nodded, a look of childish fear across his face. It was heartbreaking, though Torn wasn't that sympathetic. He picked him up, noticing he was trembling. He set him up on the table, saying,

"Jeez…are you okay?"

The boy shook his head. Torn bit his lower lip, thinking. Thunder sounded again, and the kid threw his arms around Torn's neck, trembling terribly. Torn offered no real comfort to the poor thing. He waited for the grip to lessen around him, but it did not.

"Kid…uh...are you gonna let go?"

He shook his head again, his face buried in Torn's chest. The ex-Guard heaved a sigh, massaging his temples. This was all he needed. Thunder roared and the grip tightened. Torn grimaced, thinking. What was it that kids needed for these things? Wasn't it like water or something? Milk? He couldn't remember; it had been a decade since he'd last seen a baby, let alone a toddler.

"…You want some water, kid?" he asked.

The boy unburied his face from Torn's shoulder, nodding. The latter was relieved. _Water it is, then._ He tried to move, but the boy hung tight.

"God," Torn gasped, "You're still scared?"

He nodded again. His blue eyes shined with imminent tears. Torn was hoping the kid would let go so he could grab the water, but he didn't. Torn decided to let him hang on. He moved toward the shelf with cups on it, and the child started struggling. He whined, kicking his legs.

"Sorry, but you can't be everywhere I go, just because you're afraid of a stupid storm."

The child whined again, looking up at him with that gut-wrenching helplessness. Torn sighed, complying to the guilt. They boy released the grip on his neck, and Torn held him upright with one arm. He walked toward the shelf, taking a cup down from it. He handed it to his companion, who snatched it up. Torn placed the toddler on the cracked concrete floor. He gave a start at the coldness on his bare feet. He was wearing an old racing t-shirt Keira had scrounged for him. Unfortunately, it bared the logo of Errol's racing team. It hung down to his knees. They boy looked up at Torn curiously.

"There's a fountain over there," Torn told him, pointing, "I'm not gonna do everything for you."

The little boy turned back to the fountain, most unsure of himself.

"If you're going to be the heir to this place, you might as well do something by yourself."

The boy started walking toward the fountain, until lighting flashed. Thunder sounded, and he trembled where he stood. Torn watched on, his hands on his hips. The kid continued on toward his objective, studying it for a brief second. He stood on his tip-toes, pulling down on the lever for water. He yelped as a cold stream of water shot out of the pipe. He wiped his face with a plump forearm, looking frustrated as the droplets sparkled on his cheeks. Torn laughed lightly. The boy sprayed himself twice more before placing his cup on the ground in front of the pipe. He stood on his tip-toes again, sticking his tongue out as he pulled the lever. The water trickled down into the mug, collecting and spilling over the edge. The boy held up his drink triumphantly.

"There you go," Torn said, smirking, "Now that wasn't so bad, was it?"

The boy shook his head, sipping the water. Torn picked him up again, placing him back on the table. He kicked his legs as he drank. Torn fell into a chair in front of him, holding his head. The child was looking at the map and pictures that surrounded him. Torn's ammo belt was lying within reach, and the curious toddler grabbed it, fishing through he pockets. Torn still held his head in his hands when he felt a tap on his shoulder.

"Hm? What?"

The kid was holding a picture in his little hands. Torn was momentarily annoyed that he'd rummaged around inside his belongings, but he let it go. The boy pointed at the picture, looking at the Underground leader expectantly.

"Oh," Torn yawned, "That's Ashelin. She used to be a Krimzon Guard with me a few years ago. See?" he pointed to a very young man with short, spiky hair, "That's me three years ago. I was twenty-four; Ashelin was twenty."

He took the picture from the kid's fingers, placing it carefully back into one of his pockets. He sighed at the distant swirl of memories.

"Ashelin's a good friend of mine. You've met her before…she's great, in fact, but don't let her hear you say that," he smirked as the boy sipped his water. "You won't tell her, right?"

The child shook his head, a mouthful of water.

"I didn't think so…"

After the little boy had finished his water, Torn knew it was time for sleep once more. It was almost two in the morning. Torn placed his new-found friend back on the cold floor, amazed that it was still storming. Thunder suddenly exploded outside, the loudest of the night. The boy actually cried out. He reached for Torn automatically. The ex-Guard himself had even been shaken by that one. A wave of unused adrenaline was receding inside him as he tried to help the kid regain his composure. The lights flickered only three times, which was a good thing. Usually after four flickers, the transformer would blow up, knocking out power to half the slums.

"Go on back to bed," said Torn, "Go 'head."

The boy pulled on his fingers, urging him to follow. Torn pursed his lips. He complied to the guilt once again.

"Alright, I'll walk you down there…"

He permitted the kid to hold his hand; the poor thing looked genuinely scared. They walked together down the secret corridor. This led them out to the bunker that was located deeper inside the hideout. There were more rooms back here, mainly for other agents, but also reserved for people who needed to be kept from the Baron's attention. There was also a small medical room in the far corner and one small bathroom with a shower.

The child released Torn's hand, scurrying around the corner. He pushed opened a door with red lettering on the front that read: Commander. The boy ran inside the room, running and jumping on to a bed. Torn winced; it was his, after all. A crocadog slept at the foot of the bed, his ears twitching in his sleep. Torn yawned, then watched as the boy flopped down, rolling under the sheets. He flopped backward on to the pillows and waved to the Underground leader.

"Okay…it's time for rest," Torn told him sleepily, "I've got work to do."

He turned to leave, but the kid protested. He grabbed Torn's arm.

"What?"

Torn would have left anyway, but it was those damn eyes that got him. Biting his tongue to keep from muttering swears, he sat down on the bed. The kid smiled at him. Torn fixed him with a stern gaze."

"I ain't singing anything. Let me make that clear right now," he said.

The boy's face fell in disappointment. Torn pursed his lips.

"Sorry, but no-can-do."

The child looked around, sighing. He found something that interested him. He grabbed a beaten, leather-bound book, then dropped it in Torn's lap, grinning.

"Oh, a story…" he turned the book over in his hands, frowning. "Did Miss Keira read to you from this?"

The boy nodded excitedly, cuddling closer to Torn. He lifted his heavy arm over his head, placing it around his shoulders. Torn sighed, opening the old book. The pages were yellowed and the print was fading. He squinted.

"…Okay," he said, flipping through the pages a few more times. He cleared his throat and began reading. "_Once there was a young boy_-" the kid appeared interested.

Torn nodded, raising his eyebrows. "A young boy…it's unbelievable, huh?" he cleared his throat again, "_this boy was unaware of the trouble that lay ahead, but he was ready for whatever adventures had in store for him. He, himself, was never a trouble-maker, though his friend would often persuade him to break the rules..._"

Torn stopped reading. He looked down at the kid, making a face. His companion looked back up at him expectantly, blue eyes shining.

"You know what? I got a better story."

He shut the book, throwing it on his nightstand. He wondered where Keira had gotten the thing. He stood up, noticing that the little boy appeared sad.

"No, I gotta be standing up for this," Torn informed him, "You just get under those blankets and listen, okay?"

The boy beamed, sliding deep under the sheets. Torn had his undivided attention.

"Alright. Our story begins…in this cruddy little city. And-" he took a moment, "It's raining…a lot like tonight," Torn began walking around. "There's this guy. He's a real piece of work. He's got short hair, an' it's buzzed; one of his ear's been gnarled in half from a previous battle. This guy's a former Wastelander, so _nothing_ can scare him!"

The kid was hanging on to his every word. Torn continued to spin his tale of the former Wastelander-turned thug, who battled Metal Heads and gangster cronies alike, nearly losing his life in a barroom fight.

"-But he saw the flash of the blade at the last second, and spun around, punching the goon smack in the face!"

The kid's eyes were wide, amazed.

"Then he puts the hurt on the rest of 'em, punching and kicking anythin' that moves!!"

The story went on until the clock ticked two-fifteen. By then, the Wastelander had saved the city from an onslaught of Metal Heads, crime bosses, and –out of nowhere- Baron Praxis.

"-Then, he put his arm around his beautiful girlfriend, and they sped off into the sunset in their awesome Wastelander car, toward the unknown…. The End."

Torn snapped out of 'story mode.' He turned as quietly as he could, hoping not to disturb the dog or the child. He was relieved to see that both of them were sound asleep. Torn tapped him lightly on the head, smiling crookedly. He left the room as silently as possible, closing the door behind him. One thing was certain: his stories kicked fairy-tale ass….


	2. the Propostion

6

Keira woke the next morning to the sound of a barking crocadog. She sighed, rolling out of bed. She stretched her arms above her head, letting them fall heavily to her side. She changed into regular clothes: a white tank top, blue slacks, and black boots that she'd managed to scrounge up money for. Grabbing her old pair of goggles off the nightstand, she popped a piece of gum in her mouth and into the bathroom. The dog was still barking, and Torn yelled at him to 'stay!' Keira smiled to herself, tying her hair back into a ponytail. She surveyed herself in the mirror, blowing the bangs from her eyes. She'd changed a lot in the two years she had been alone, her only companions the garage and the whiny racers coming in asking for repairs. She'd asked for the job on a whim and a prayer, and the manager had hired her on the spot; he'd seemed desperate. Keira had proven her worth for certain, having sponsored many racers in the past two years. She was looking for a team to start the season, but no one had come to mind yet.

Keira secretly harbored other thoughts, however…. She heard Torn's voice through the wall, shaking her head.

"Dammit! I said, '_stay_!'"

Keira smiled to herself once more, carefully hanging the goggles around her neck. But her smiled soon faded. Torn…she wished he acknowledged her usefulness. She wanted to be an Underground agent, although she knew Torn would laugh in her face. '_You're only a kid_,' he'd probably sneer, '_you belong in the garage, not alongside Ashelin and me_.' Keira snorted at the thought. If Ashelin could do it, she could. She knew the only reason Torn let her stay in the hideout was because of her knowledge of the toolbox. Keira frowned; that was going to change. She straightened up and followed the barking to the main room.

"God…be quiet, _please_!!!"

Torn was over by the shelves lined with mugs, trying to locate a clean one. The little boy was sitting on the table, giggling at the crocadog, which was presently chewing on a stray boot, stifling the barking for the moment.

"Thank. God," Torn gasped.

He turned around, then gave a start. Keira giggled.

"Morning, Torn."

"Jeez…you scared me…"

Keira patted the crocadog lovingly, smirking as he went right back to chewing on the boot. She stood back up, putting her hands on her hips.

"Did you get any sleep?" she asked, crossing her arms.

Torn nodded, still searching for a mug. The little boy had noticed Keira. He waved to her happily. She returned the wave, smiling.

"Torn…" she began.

"What?" he asked, bringing a fresh cup of coffee to the table. He raised his eyebrows at her from over the brim.

"Well…I've been meaning to ask you," Keira sighed, "I've known you for a couple months, now, and I'm…I've been helping you out as best I can."

"Spit it out, kid," said Torn, sipping down his coffee.

Keira swore his veins were full of the stuff.

"Well, I was wondering…if you would make me…an agent?"

He didn't laugh in her face, but his reaction was about the same. He put down the coffee mug, swallowing.

"Sorry, Keira. I can't do that to you."

"Do what?! Why not? I bet you I can handle anything that your stupid missions can throw at me!"

Torn shook his head. The kid had moxie, at least. "You have no idea what kind of world it's like. You can't imagine the kind of hell our agents go throw, either just to get information or for actual missions."

"But I can actually get things done!!"

"Really?" Torn laughed, "It seems to me like one person can't really make a difference."

"How would you know?! You aren't getting anything done here! Some resistance movement! You can't even-"

She regretted her statement as soon as she looked up into his eyes. They were a light blue, which she'd never noticed before. He stared down at her, and it was almost like his gazed pierced right through her.

"Did I just hear you right? You don't understand, Keira. That's the end of it. You will not be a member of the Underground."

Keira was momentarily silenced by the venom in his words, but she managed to regain her ground.

"I'm sick of being treated like a child!" she snapped, "I can do more than build stinkin' cars! I want to fight- I want to _do_ something!!"

"I told you once. I'm not going to say it again."

Keira glowered at him. "You're being a real bastard right now."

Torn's eyes locked with hers again. She visibly flinched. Redness crept across her face; it was apparent she'd pushed him once too far…

"You wanna do somethin'? Okay- fine."

"Really?"

Torn appeared furious, yet he smiled. Keira winced; he didn't mean it.

"Take the kid with you to the stadium an' keep him there until your shift is done. The KG are upping patrols in this sector today, and the stadium will be free of most of them."

He threw a com-link at her, and she barely had time to catch it. He turned and stalked down the hallay, saying,

"I'll have Ashelin or Tess pick him up after you notify me."

"Torn-"

"Get lost, Keira."

He disappeared from view. Keira sighed, for some reason feeling the sting of tears. She forced a smile at the little boy, who had been watching them worriedly. She held out her hand, and he jumped down to clutch it.

"It's alright," she assured him, "It's not your fault."

She headed for the door, then stopped. Her eyes fell to the knot of maps, pictures and recently stolen paperwork that littered the table. Without a glimmer of hesitation, Keira snatched up a few papers at random, quickly exiting the hideout. She rolled up the papers and stuck them in her backpack. Keira found her car in the shady care she'd left it in. Tess had done her a favor by putting a canopy above it to save it from the rain. Keira helped the boy climb into the passenger's side. She hopped in the driver's seat soon after. The engine sputtered to life after she twisted the keys in the ignition. The car rose to the regular hover zone with a jolt, and the kid yelped. Keira smiled.

The city was extra humid that day, due to the previous bout of rain. The sky was a light blue, with high Sirius clouds. Traffic was light for this time of the morning, and Keira was thankful for that. She looked over at the child when they reached a stoplight. Her heart went out to him; he clutched the sides of his seat, looking fearfully over the side door. His eyes were wide.

"Did Torn feed you yet?" she asked, pressing the gas pedal lightly.

The boy shook his head. Keira sighed, pursing her lips. She turned to a different lane, looking behind her briefly.

"Let's get you something to eat."

She had learned in the past two years that the Bazaar yielded people of many personalities, as well as foods of all kinds. The very first time she had been in Haven City, she'd been thrown from the Rift Gate in her village and separated from her father, Jak and Daxter. When she came to, a kind woman had come and taken her to visit a wise old woman named Onin. A loud-mouthed talking bird (who reminded her too much of Daxter) spoke for Onin. It had all seemed so strange and ridiculous until the old woman addressed her as "Keira Hagai, daughter of Samos Hagai, the Sage."

………………………………

_"H-how did you know that?!"_ _fifteen-year-old Keira demanded, cowering in the corner of the hut._

_"Onin says she has been awaiting your arrival," said the over-zealous bird, "You will prove useful in years to come."_

_"What? Tell her she's crazy!" Keira hugged her knees protectively, "You're crazy!!"_

_The old woman waved her hands, bangles and beads clicking together around her thin wrists. _

_"Onin says you are from a place very different from ours. A place called Sandover Village."_

_Keira's head shot up. She leaned forward slightly._

_"That's right. How did-?"_

_"We've been expecting you, dear Keira."_

_Her wide green eyes flitted to the exit, then back to the bird. She couldn't bring herself to run. She shivered in her clothes, which appeared to be odd to the people who had seen her. _

_"Can you get me back home?!" she asked desperately._

_"She says she regrets having to see you this way. She knows you won't adjust to this place for some time."_

_"I don't want to stay here! I'm leaving!!"_

_Keira stood up angrily, churning up the dirt beneath her bare feet, which were raw from the concrete outside. She headed for the exit, but the bird was talking again._

_"She says you are worried about…Jak."_

_Keira spun around. That was it. "Alright! Who are you?! Are you going to help me or not?!"_

_"The boy you call Jak must play his part," the woman twirled her spindly fingers, "You cannot see him yet. Nothing is in place."_

_"Tell me where he is!" Keira growled, tears spilling down her cheeks, "Where are my friends?!"_

_"Young Keira," the bird sighed, "You mustn't dwell on the boy. He is the least of your worries. Onin says you have two present choices," the bird held up two feathered fingers, "If you do not choose, you will never see Jak, Daxter, or your father again."_

_Keira held her head in her hands, nearing complete breakdown. _

_"I'm dreaming…I'm going to wake up…!"_

_"Most are weary of their destiny in the beginning, as was the grand warrior who built this city."_

_"I don't live here! I have to get back to my village!" she screeched, "Will these choices of mine get me home?!"_

_"Onin says-"_

_"Just tell me, or I'll wring your scrawny little neck!!"_

_The bird fell silent. The old woman had the slightest curve to her lips. He looked down at her expectantly, but she waved her arms in a wide arc, wriggling her fingers once more. The bid sighed._

_"She knows you love machines. Your first choice is to head to the stadim."_

_"But-"_

_"Your second choice, is to find this man."_

_The obnoxious bird handed her a picture. Keria studied the man, frowning. His brown hair was cropped short and it stuck up in different directions. He had blue eyes, and was wearing a uniform of some sort. He would have been handsome if his face hadn't of been tattooed with black bars. They stretched to his ears, neck and even his shoulders. _

_"Who is this?"_

_"He is a captain in the Krimzon Guard, and has just begun to realize the atrocities that surround him there. Find him, and tell him Onin sent you. He can protect him, keep you safe and hidden." _

_"I've never seen this guy in my life! I don't think I can just walk up to him and play the friendship card," she threw the man's picture at the red and blue feathered bird. He appeared angry at her actions._

_"You were wrong about this one, you old hag!" he snapped at Onin, "She can't be the one you speak of!"_

_The old woman appeared irked at the bird's statements. "You could be wrong! She is supposed to be courteous, gentle and hospitable, just like in all the stories."_

_The bird pointed at her with a trembling finger. Keira winced._

_" Heiress to the throne? The bearer of Mar's children? HA! I don't think so!"_

_Onin swatted at the bird to shut him up. Keira still stood by the doorway, waiting for the moment to leave. The bird had regained his aura of importance._

_"You must choose, young one. You will see your precious Jak all in good time," he handed the man's picture back to her, "Which ever one you choose first- you will encounter the other."_

_Keira looked at the back of the picture, noticing a stamp had been marked in red._

_"Show the seal to the man, and he will know you're reasons are legitimate. He will protect you."_

_"Will I find my friends and my father?"_

_"All in good time," the bird smiled knowingly, "All…in good time…"_


	3. The Commander

7

The stadium was a welcoming place of coolness. The humidity had increased as the day had progressed into the afternoon. The little boy tagged along behind Keira as they walked up the stadium stairs, sporting a large ice-cream cone she'd bought for him in the Bazaar after giving him breakfast. The door to the shop was already open. Keira walked inside, frowning as she looked around. She could have sworn she closed everything up before she went back to the hideout…

"Oy!"

Keira spun on the spot, then relaxed. The boy, however, was frightened. He jumped nearly a foot, and his ice-cream splattered to the floor. He ran behind Keira, burying his face in the back of her legs.

"Woah…sorry…"

Keira put her hands on her hips, fixing her companion with a scornful look.

It was Bill, her fellow mechanic. He was in his late twenties, with brown hair and eyes. Bill had shown up in her shop one night, in desperate need of a place to sleep. Keira had let him stay overnight, and got him a job after realizing he had a way with machines. Bill had evolved into her friend in the past few months, telling her stories about the Baron, Krimzon Guard and the Wasteland. One could tell Bill had seen his share of the bad side. His face was weathered and his body was scarred. This was most evident by the large jagged scar under his right eye. In spite of his menacing appearance, Bill was nice to most people he met. It may have had something to do with his British accent…

"Aww, you've scared him," Keira said, placing a comforting hand on the boy's head.

He peeked at Bill from around her leg, then hid again.

"Well…I didn't mean to," Bill tired to see around her, "What's the lil' runt's name?"

"He doesn't have a name; we can't figure it out. Torn told me to watch him today, so I brought him to work."

Bill laughed lightly, sensing the hidden disapproval in her voice. "Ol' Torn is still the same. 'E's been like that 's far as I can remember."

"Concise?" asked Keira.

"No; suffering from a stick up his arse."

Keira rolled her eyes, picking up the boy and balancing him on her hip.

"Did 'e make you a member yet?"

"No…"

Bill shook his head, walking up to the ruined car that sat on the jack. He picked up a wrench, gesturing to the boy.

"Oy, kid, I'll by you a new ice cream cone, alright?"

The child nodded silently, gripping Keira's shoulder. Bill flashed him a gentle smile. Keira walked to the area with a green and yellow checkered curtain. She sighed; her project would have to wait. The boy soon warmed up to Bill, who picked him up from Keira's arms and set him on the jack, proceeding to explain different parts of the vehicle to him.

Keira moved to sit at her desk, pushing aside drawings she'd made for new racing vehicles. She took out one of the papers she'd taken from Torn and began to read. Instantly, she was stumped. She frowned; usually things were easy to decipher for her, but this was different. The letters were all written in the planet's English, complete with the correct symbols, but what they described made no sense at all. The words were all jumbled, it seemed. Keira studied it for twenty minutes or so, chewing on the end of her pencil. Suddenly, she heard someone enter the building ahead. Keira turned to Bill.

"Hey!"

"Wha'?"

"Can you take him to the backroom?" she asked, quickly hiding the papers.

"What for?"

"I don't want anyone to see him, Bill! You heard what the Baron's been doing to find him!"

Bill nodded. "Right; got it."

Keira pointed hurriedly, saying,

"Take the back way- Go!"

Bill scooped up the kid in one movement, putting him up on his shoulders so as not to make it seem like they were in trouble. Keira made sure the papers were safely concealed, turning back to the car wreckage. It still needed a lot more work, and it was due back in Kras City in five more weeks. Hopefully she and Bill would have it done by then.

The visitor to the stadium appeared inside the shop. Keira greeted him with a smile. It was Errol, leader of the Krimzon Guard, and the best racer she'd ever seen.

"Hello Errol," said Keira, "What's going on? Is there something you need?"

"Oh, not really. I was in this sector, so I thought I'd stop by.

"I thought Krimzon Guards couldn't leave their posts for anything."

Errol smirked, shrugging only one shoulder. "I guess I'm an exception."

Keira shook her head, fishing in a drawer for her monkey wrench.

"Did you come to recruit me for your team again?"

"Not today," Errol said with a hint of a laugh.

He walked closer into the shop, moving toward the table, but something went wrong. Errol slipped, losing his balance. He grabbed for the table as a last attempt. It was enough to keep him on his feet. Keira was giggling, her hands on her knees.

"What the hell was that?!" Errol demanded.

"Oh, it's just some ice-cream I spilled…forgot to clean it up," Keira giggled again.

She walked up to him, grabbing his arm. He managed to step out of the pool of melted ice-cream.

"Don't go banning dessert now, please," said Keira with a smirk.

Errol's mouth twitched, as if he were trying to smile. Keira cleared her throat, walking back toward the car wreckage. She took a seat in front of it, beginning to scrape off a bit of charred metal.

"So what're you up to now?"

"Nothing much really," Errol replied, flinging goop off his boot, "Things are a bit hectic; the Baron's ordered all unescorted children to be arrested and have their status confirmed."

Keira dropped the monkey wrench. It slid across the floor with a clang. Errol picked it up, frowning.

"What's the matter?" he asked.

"Nothing…"

"Come on. There's more to it than that."

Keria's eyes flitted to the backroom, but only for a moment. Errol placed the wrench back in her hand gently. She sighed.

"Well, doesn't it seem a little…drastic?"

Errol hopped up on to the jack in front of her, frowning. He wore the familiar Krimzon Guard uniform but it was marked in different colors- blue and yellow instead of the standard red. He certainly was a person who seemed to think of his appearance. His racing mask was pushed to the top of his head; he had fiery yellow-orange hair that seemed to match his personality. Black tattoos crossed his ears and face, circling around his eyes and running down to his cheeks.

"I mean…arresting children can't be good for the Baron's publicity. Just listen to how crazy it sounds," Keira went on.

Errol nodded slightly, avoiding her eyes. He was suddenly interested in his boots.

"So you think the Baron is crazy?" he asked, quietly.

Keira sighed, looking up at him. Errol had never been one to accuse her of anything. She trusted him to a certain degree.

"Not… entirely," she said, continuing to make adjustments to the burnt-out car. "Don't you ever think that maybe he isn't really looking out for the good of the people?"

Errol appeared to actually consider her statement. He shrugged.

"The thought had crossed my mind…but then again, who comes into power after him? Ashelin?" he shook his head. "The city would be reduced to ashes in the span of a week."

Keira smirked. Ashelin was often the subject of her personal grievance; the woman was so readily respected, and had a great responsibility. She was second in command of the Krimzon Guard, Errol just outranking her. Keira knew Ashelin was a good person, yet she still found herself disliking her. She couldn't really explain why; she didn't want to believe she was actually jealous of Ashelin…

"You don't like her?" Keira asked as innocently as possible, sensing the distaste in Errol's voice.

"Can't say that I do, Keira," he replied, shifting his position on the table. He picked up a tool and studied it. "She'd be a decent person if she didn't spend all her time trying to piss off her father…spending all her time looking for that idiot of a man…"

"Who's that?" Keira giggled, twisting off a rusty bolt.

"His name is Torn," Errol spat.

Keira's hand slipped on the wrench and she cracked her fingers against the metal. She swore in pain. Errol was alarmed.

"Are you alright?"

Keira nodded, sucking her knuckles. "So, this Torn guy…you don't like him, either?"

"No," said Errol with a sneer, "He's a coward. He left the Guard about two or three years ago. A bit strange at the time- he was-" the commander winced, "Well-respected."

"Did he say why he left?"

"Oh, something about the treatment of the people…I don't know what his beef with the Baron was. I think there was more to it than what they told us. Anyway, at the time, he was in my position, and I was…partly jealous."

"'Partly jealous?' C'mon, Errol!" Keira smirked slyly at him.

Errol actually cracked a grin. He shook his head.

"Well, he left and I took over. It worked out for the best."

Keira continued to twist at the metal, her mind reeling from the information.

"So what happened to him?"

Errol shrugged, running a hand through his hair. "He could be anywhere. Probably rotting away somewhere in the slums."

Keira raised her eyebrows. He had no idea…Errol slid off the jack, standing beside her. He cleared his throat.

"I… I got something for you at the market place…"

"Really? What is it?"

Errol reached into the shoulder pouch he wore, taking out something. Keira smiled. It was a small bouquet of flowers. They were mostly pink, but a small trail of blue outlined the petals.

"I know it's kind of cliché," Errol was saying, "But it seemed to me like you needed something to cheer you up around here."

"They're beautiful," she said, still smiling. Keira took them in her hands, feeling the petals delicately.

Something about them was oddly familiar. She took in their scent, and a brief memory of the ocean flashed through her mind.

"So, do you like them?" questioned Errol.

"Oh, definitely," Keira replied, "I love them."

"The woman I bought them from said they were rare. They only grow by the ocean. A long time ago, the Palace used to have a garden, and it was said Mar's wife favored these flowers above all others."

Keira frowned thoughtfully. "Mar certainly has tons of legends, doesn't he?"

She eyed the flowers again, trying to figure out where she'd seen them before. Errol half-smiled at her comment. Keira put the flowers to her nose and took in their scent once more. It was so familiar…

"Do I get a 'thank-you?' "

"Huh?" Keira snapped out of a daze.

Errol looked back at her expectantly.

"Oh, thank-you…"

She wasn't really aware of what she was saying, on the verge of figuring out her strange memory. It finally clicked- Home. That was what it was….

It was before everything, even before Daxter's bout with the Dark Eco on Misty Island. Back when he had a head of red hair and poor coordination…back when Jak was there to be with her.

The three friends had found a 'swimming spot,' an area of solace where they'd be free from Samos' nagging. There was a small water fall that fell into the cove, long grass and warm water. At night the fireflies would come out and light up the little bay, floating around like miniature stars. There was a rickety old dock that Daxter would always complain about, whining that the fisherman never got around to fixing it. Keira had lost count of how many times all three of them had fallen asleep there; her father would joke he'd carry her and Jak back home, but drag Daxter along by his ankle.

Keira remembered one night in particular, when Daxter had fallen asleep, leaving her and Jak alone to go exploring. The sun had almost set on the horizon, and the fireflies were out. Jak had taken her on a climb up the waterfall, finding a small plateau on top. They'd all tried to climb it before, but up until then, no one had succeeded. When the two had reached the top, they watched the sun sink into the ocean. It was then Jak had given her something, red in the face all the while: A large bouquet of pink and blue flowers. They smelled wonderful. Keira had thanked him and moved to kiss him on the cheek, but Daxter had fallen into the water below them, yelping. Both of them laughed at his expense, shaking their heads. It had been the first time Jak had showed her he liked her. Keira could still feel the gentle breeze on her face….

"Are you okay?"

She was snapped unwillingly back to reality. Keira suddenly realized she was standing in the shop, next to Errol.

"Yeah," she replied absently, "I'm fine…"

Errol stepped a bit closer to her. She blushed.

"Could I have a proper thank-you, then?"

He leaned forward slightly. Keira's first instinct was to do the same, but something stopped her. She could only think of Jak…

"I- uhm…," she stammered, "Thanks."

Errol frowned at her, as if the phenomenon of girls being repulsed by him was out of ordinary. He could feel the rare sense of embarrassment creeping up on him.

"I really love the flowers, Errol- I do."

Keira kissed him on the cheek, so as not to make it look like she was afraid of him or anything. She certainly wasn't; it was the fact that she couldn't get Jak out of her mind…

Errol seemed to regain some of his typical expression. The dim redness in his cheeks was fading. He nodded, taking a step away from her.

"You're welcome…"

There was suddenly a clatter of equipment in the backroom, which startled Keira briefly.

"Who else is here?" Errol wanted to know.

"Oh, just a fellow mechanic. He works in the second shop back there," Keira answered, "He's harmless."

Errol nodded. "Well, I'd better be going. I've work to do…"

"Okay…Be careful out there, Commander," she said, "And thanks again."

Keira flashed him a reassuring smile as he turned to leave. Errol's mouth twitched again. He held up his hand as he departed, nodding to her. When he had gone, Keira gasped. Bill came into view after a few minutes. The little boy followed, wearing a racing helmet that was much too big for him. Keira couldn't help laughing.

"What did that wank 'ave to say?" asked Bill, folding his arms.

The boy hugged Keira around the legs, and she returned the gesture, lifting up the visor that fell over his eyes.

"Bill, that's not very nice."

"Well…you don't know 'im like I do."

"Errol's just a friend," Keira informed him, shrugging, "I think we get along pretty well. He's a really great racer, you know."

Bill raised his eye brows. "Yeah, I _know_, kid. The 'Grand Racing Champion.' Everyone freaking knows, and he doesn't let them forget it."

"God, Bill- cut it out!" Keira snapped.

"Alright, but he's a Looney, just so y'know…"

Keira heaved a sigh, picking up the boy. Bill chuckled to himself, turning back to his work. He knew she was still young yet, but her taste in men certainly didn't look promising…


	4. Ashelin

**Author's note: Hello! I accidently forgot to mention about Bill…yeah…he's a totally made up character, and my brother actually created him (if you can believe that)! So, I'm in affect, just barrowing him. Sorry, just had to mention. Hope you like so far. ****;)**** oh, by the way, everyone belongs to Naughty Dog except Bill, and a few others to appear later on. Okay, that's it. Happy reading! **

***************************************************************************************************************

Keira continued to pour over the papers she'd nicked from Torn, completely baffled by them. They just didn't seem to make any sense. The most she could get out of it was that the papers were written by the Baron, who was conversing with Errol. The little boy suddenly interrupted her thoughts.

"What is it, sweetie?" she asked, turning in her seat to look down at him.

He pointed to her comlink, which was lying on the jack.

"You want to see Torn again, don't you?"

The child nodded, smiling. Keira sighed, her shoulders sagging.

"Somebody will be here for you in a little bit, okay? Just hang in there."

The boy nodded again obediently. He returned to the makeshift game of checkers he played with Bill, using washers and bolts. The comlink crackled around six-thirty, just minutes after Keira's shift ended. Torn's gravelly voice sounded through the speaker.

"HQ to stadium; come in stadium."

Keira picked up the link almost reluctantly, pressing down the button.

"Stadium. Keira here."

She released the button. There was a short pause, then,

"It's time to bring the kid back to HQ. Ashelin's picking him up."

"I got it."

"HQ out."

He was still mad at her, and she could tell. Keira sighed, letting her arm fall heavily at her side.

"What did you _do_?" Bill asked.

Keira fixed him with a warning stare. Bill crossed his arms, saying,

"If you wanna be that guy's friend, you've gotta earn his respect."

"And how do I do _that_?! I already respect him! What's his problem?!"

Bill could sense he'd touched on a sensitive subject. He clapped her on the shoulder gently, smirking.

"Torn's been through more than you think, kiddo. He's had to prove himself his whole life. You just have to make it clear to him that you're going to be committed; that you'll give your all every day, prepared for anything."

Keira ran a hand through her hair, blowing bangs out of her eyes.

"Whatever…"

"I'm serious. Just earn his respect; that's it."

They heard the sound of someone entering the building, calling for Keira.

"Easier said than done," she huffed, bending down to pick up the kid. He yawned, rubbing his eyes. He waved to Bill over Keira's shoulder as they left the shop.

Ashelin was waiting at the stadium entrance, leaning against the wall. She raked her fingers through her dark red hair, green eyes scanning her surroundings. Ashelin was a Krimzon Guard, a top-ranking officer, which meant that she had tattoos crossing her face, neck and ears. Somehow, they did not take away from her apparent beauty. She wore dark slacks and red boots, along with a black leather jacket. Her hair was dreadlocked and fell to her shoulders; a pistol rested in the holster at her side. She smirked as Keira came into view carrying the child, who was falling asleep.

"What was he doing all day?" she asked.

"Playing around," Keira answered, "He had fun; didn't you?"

The boy nodded sleepily, his eyes beginning to close. Ashelin placed a hand on his head.

"Adorable…at least I don't have to put him to sleep."

She smiled again. Keira returned the gesture half-heartedly. Ashelin turned, walking down the staircase.

"Come on this way; we'll take him to the car."

Keira followed her to the vehicle, which was a Krimzon Guard cruiser, of course. It was painted in black and red, the Guard logo glaring out at anyone who happened to notice it. Keira gently placed the boy in the passenger's side, making sure he was safely buckled. By now, he had fallen completely asleep. She gently tousled his hair, straightening up.

"What did you say to Torn that upset him?" Ashelin wanted to know.

"He's upset?"

"I mean he's mad."

Keira laughed lightly, leaning against the cruiser, folding her arms.

"You wanted to get in the Underground, didn't you?"

"Why is it such a big _deal_?" Keira gasped, unable to control her frustration.

"It shouldn't be," replied Ashelin quietly, "I understand completely."

"Then wh-?"

"I can't make you a member. That's entirely up to Torn," Ashelin said. Keira appeared disappointed. "But I want to tell you that I think you wouldn't let us down."

Keira's eyes widened in surprise. "You mean that?"

Ashelin nodded. "Yeah, of course. Just talk to Torn; let him know how committed you are."

"…Everyone keeps saying that," Keira mumbled, "But what if he doesn't listen, like I know he won't?"

Ashelin sighed, burying her hands in her pockets.

"Listen. If he keeps you out, there's nothing I can do. Torn always has a reason for what he does, and you can bet he has my support either way. I might try to convince him one way sometimes, but usually his mind is made up."

Keira was downcast. Ashelin put a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"Keep your chin up, Keira. If things don't work out, you'll always be welcome to help me."

Keira couldn't help grinning. That had meant a lot to her.

"Thanks, Ashelin…"

"Forget it," she replied with a smirk, "See ya around."

Keira watched as Ashelin hopped into the driver's seat of her cruiser. The craft rose into the air and flew off in the direction of the slums, leaving Keira alone with her thoughts.


	5. Confrontation

**Author's note: Hello again! This is my favorite chapter so far. Just had to say it. Reviews are greatly appreciated- thanks! ******** Oh, and this also contains made up characters- although just mentioned at the moment. The other Captain is a 'rumored' character, but I just made up something for him, so he may or may not belong to Naughty Dog…. Ha. I'm done. Happy reading!**

"You're late."

The voice was flat, somehow twisted with a hint of discontent. Torn grimaced; he hated this.

"Why weren't you here on time?"

"Ran into a few problems," Torn answered through gritted teeth, "A few 'friends' of yours decided to buzz me on the way over here…"

Errol sniggered. He stood before Torn, his hands behind his back, chin up. The latter narrowed his eyes.

"It's been a week. What do you want?" he huffed.

"Where is the child?"

Errol leaned over the table expectantly. Both men were inside the Palace, at a private meeting room for the Krimzon Guard. Torn remembered it well, but he did not like what they'd done to the place.

"I haven't been able to locate him," he answered tersely, "the Underground people aren't stupid, despite what you think."

"But you must know at least one of the places he's been," Errol said, his impatience beginning to creep in.

Torn smirked. "They're very secretive about everything- too many places to count."

Errol sighed, discouraged. He shook his head, pounding his fist on the polished wood table. He closed his eyes as if to ready himself.

"Every time you come back it's the same! We gain no new ground and end up losing more. You haven't even found the _HQ _for the damn worms-" Torn's fingers dug into the armrests of his chair. "They could be anywhere! You had to have at least _seen_ the boy!"

Torn shook his head. Errol heaved a sigh.

"The Baron won't be happy with this…"

"The Baron can kiss my ass," Torn laughed.

He leaned back in his chair, folding his arms. Errol glared at him. Torn bit his lip to keep from laughing again.

"Do I have to remind you that the only reason you're alive is because of your past in the KG?"

Torn shook his head, avoiding Errol's gaze. "I didn't come down here to talk about that."

"Then what did you come down here for, Torn? Because I don't see the point of having a spy who can't produce evidence!"

The ex-Guard placed his feet up on the table, remaining silent. Errol cringed; his boots were filthy. Torn pulled his curved blade out from the scabbard on his back, running a finger along the steel.

"You should know I'm not cut out for this sneaking around crap," he told Errol. He looked thoughtful, then said, "I'm more of a reconnaissance kind of guy…"

Errol narrowed his eyes. "Yes, I'm aware of that. Perhaps if you weren't so self-righteous, Captain Phoenix would still be around to tell you what a mess you've made."

Torn felt a knot of anger form in his stomach.

"And you have room to talk about Phoenix?! After all the bullshit he went through trying to help-!"

"Enough!" Errol shouted, "You better have an improvement in your information the next time you come back."

Torn ran his finger along the blade a second time.

"Or what? You'll challenge me to a race?"

Errol clenched his jaw. Torn raised his eyebrows; he'd struck a nerve.

"You idiot! Things might get a bit hectic for that little girlfriend of yours."

Torn's heart sped up. He took his feet from the table, sitting upright.

"Leave her out of this," he warned.

Errol leaned even further over the table. "You've forced me to take drastic measures, _Captain_," he sneered.

Torn tightened his grip on the combat knife. Errol continued.

"If you don't up the ante soon, your _"precious" _Ashelin will be stripped of her authority- or worse."

"You can't to that," Torn said venomously, "The Baron would never-"

"If she's committed treason, I'm sure he wouldn't hesitate," interrupted the Commander.

He circled the table, Torn watching.

"That is, if you come don't come back with information about where the child is. Knowing who is leading the whole movement will also help."

Torn stood up out of his seat, noticing how much taller than Errol he was. The commander flinched, but only briefly.

"Why don't you do it yourself? I'm sick of being your damn errand boy. Find someone else."

Errol appeared unfazed by his statement. He fixed Torn with another icy stare.

"You can't just leave. The Baron has you marked; you won't be able to go anywhere without him knowing."

"I don't care. Find someone else," Torn repeated. Looking about the room in disgust, he added, "It's sad what you've reduced the Guard to."

Errol was seething now, watching incredulously as Torn turned his back on him and began walking out of the room.

"I will kill her for this!"

Torn stopped walking. Errol smirked slyly.

"You'll be dead before you even see her coming," he said, not wanting to look back.

"I don't think so," replied Errol calmly.

Torn shook his head. "Why would you do that? After all that we went through in the past few years…with Dead Town-"

"None of that matters now! Ashelin has been nothing but a thorn in my side from the beginning; I'd love to be rid of her for the rest of my life," Errol said, a wicked grin on his face.

In one swift movement, Torn pulled out one of his twin Eco pistols, and pointed it right between the commander's eyes. Errol hadn't had time to ready himself; he stood motionless, rooted to the spot. They were mere feet apart.

"Don't feed me that old 'arrogant bastard' shit. I'm not a man who likes to play games," he leaned forward, still keeping the pistol leveled, "Especially with sniveling little pretty boys such as yourself."

Errol appeared more nervous than scared. He still looked up at Torn defiantly.

"You realize as soon as you walk out that door, no one you hold dear is safe."

"I don't believe you," Torn hissed.

Errol managed to regain some of his pride. "Yes you do. I know everyone you could possibly love- Ashelin, Hector, Libby," he grinned evilly, "Tess."

"You wouldn't!" Torn growled, clicking a round into place.

Errol swallowed hard, but he didn't lose that smile.

"Whatever gets you to understand," he said, "Consider both Ashelin and Tess marked."

"You're a bastard," snarled Torn, "How could you even think-?!"

"Either you continue to be our spy, or I'll be forced to end the lives of all your friends. Your well-being, or theirs."

Torn hated everything about this man; the way he spoke, the way he took advantage of everyone; the way he made a mockery out of the position Torn had once held. He wanted to kill him, make him be the one who would have to lose everything.

Torn's hand began to shake, and his grip on the pistol loosened. Errol watched as the barrel of the weapon trembled before him. The ex-Guard lowered the gun with great difficulty. The Commander gave him a satisfactory smile.

"I thought so," he mused, "Come back with more information, Torn. The Baron and I will be waiting."

"F--- you," Torn returned, his voice racked with emotion.

He quickly found his way out of the Palace, jogging down the stair case. He jumped on his zoomer and drove, letting the wind sting at his face. He never wanted to see that place again.


	6. A Glimpse of the Past

About a week or so had passed. Keira did her best to avoid the Underground hideout, even though she didn't really want to. She hated to admit it, but she missed everyone there- even Torn. Conversations between the two had been short and often angry. Her present state of mind was rubbing off on those around her; Bill kept asking what her problem was. Errol made his usual trips to the stadium, and once Torn figured this out, he bothered her to pump him for information. Keira didn't want to do this, seeing as how Errol was her friend; she would always report that she'd found nothing. Errol never spoke about anything secretive, at any rate. The only one Keira talked to extensively aside from Bill was the little boy. Torn was still not talking to her, but he was willing to her as a babysitter. To top it all off, the papers she'd taken from the hideout were yielding no new discoveries. The words all seemed oddly familiar to her, yet she couldn't figure them out; it seemed as if the letters all formed nonsense words…

Keira sat at her desk, frustrated once again. The little boy was behind her, gazing questioningly at the shelves of racing trophies. He loved seeing his distorted reflection in them. Keira sighed, her gaze drifting away from the computer to her drawings of the new racing vehicles. Errol had commented that they looked good; she had been trying to design new ones in effort to make them safer. The flowers Errol had given her sat in a small vase next to the computer, and they made her smile.

But the stupid papers were really making her mad. This was her chance to prove to Torn she was worth something to the Underground, and she couldn't crack the stupid code! Keira whined, lying her head on her arms. It was going to be a long day.

***************

Torn was back in the hideout, in his personal quarters. He needed to clean up the room because the kid had been in it a few times now, and was messing everything up. With a sigh, he stooped to pick up a mess of papers that had fallen to the floor- crayon doodles drawn by the boy. He studied them curiously, shaking his head at some of them. Several of the drawings had the crocadog in them, as well as Keira and Tess. He shifted the papers to another drawing, this time of a figure wearing red and black…

"That's supposed to be you," a sudden voice said.

Torn jumped. "Jeez, Tess! For the love of God, _knock_ next time!"

Tess giggled as she stepped further into the room, saying,

"I'm the only one who ever scares you."

"Yeah," Torn sighed, "In more ways than one…"

Tess stuck her tongue out at him. She was blonde, with sky blue eyes and a small pointed nose. She was tall, though shorter than Torn, and she wore a green t-shirt, khaki slacks and dark blue boots. There was also a red headband in her hair, keeping most of it from falling into her eyes.

"I thought he did a good job drawing you," she said, looking at the picture approvingly, "It's always tough to get your nose just right…"

Torn rolled his eyes, piling the papers on a nearby table. Tess bounced around him excitedly.

"Any missions for me today?" she asked.

"Yeah- you and Libby need to head down to the Power Station and see if you can nab some batteries for the zoomers. Many an agent has been bugging me about them failing every now and then."

"But that's a boring job," Tess whined, "Give me a cool mission!"

"Tess, these missions aren't supposed to be cool- I don't feel right about sending you on dangerous ones," Torn said.

"You know I can handle myself. You've known that for a long time, now."

Torn looked over at her, remembering what Errol had said. She smiled at him, and he kept himself from wincing. It was killing him, being a spy.

"I'll put you out in the field as soon as I come up with a plan, alright?" he finally said, "But I'm not sending you anywhere near the Palace, not after the mess we got into a few months ago."

Tess didn't seem to hear him. She clapped happily, giving him a hug.

"Oh thank-you, Torn! I'm jut dying to get out there and kick some ass!!"

He couldn't help laughing after she pulled away from him. Tess was still smiling as she helped clean up the room, humming to herself. Torn noticed that she still wore that old bracelet around her left wrist. It was a circle of pink beads, with a small heart-shaped charm dangling off of it.

"I thought you got rid of that bracelet," Torn mumbled.

"Hm? No, of course not," Tess replied with a grin, "Why would I do that? Mik made it for me."

She admired it for a moment, then said,

"It never leaves my wrist."

Torn nodded gently, suddenly avoiding her gaze. He dropped the drawings on his bed, with a sigh. Tess watched him, an expression of concern crossing her face.

"I didn't mean to bring that up," she said, "I know how that makes you feel."

"I brought it up. It's not your fault," Torn replied, running a hand through his hair.

He blew out a breath, looking up at the ceiling. Tess was about to say something, but the sound of someone entering the hideout interrupted her.

"Torn, Tess? Anybody home?"

"That's Libby," said Torn, "You two better get going before the KG pulls a snap inspection on the Power Station."

Tess nodded. "Right."

Libby walked into view at that moment, leaning against the door frame. Her full name was Libertad, although she rarely went by this. She had short raven-dark hair and almond-shaped jade green eyes; the mandatory tattoos of the Krimzon Guard were only visible on her ears. Each soldier would receive tattoos according to their rank; she had only been a private for a few years before Torn had recruited her for the Underground. She nodded to them.

"Ready to go, then?" she asked Tess.

"Yeah, just give me one second."

Libby exited the room respectfully, leaving them in peace. Tess regarded Torn silently for a moment.

"Get going," he said, "I'm serious about the Guards going there. Plus-you know Vin…always so jumpy."

Tess nodded again, her arms crossed. Before she could leave, she said softly,

"It's alright to talk about your brother, Torn. I'm always up for it."

With that, she left him behind. Torn listened to her and Libby leave the hideout, chatting about girl things, and put a hand on his forehead. He prayed nothing bad would happen to them.


	7. Discovery

**Author's Note: This chapter is a little short- so I apologize in advance. ;) Just checking up on stuff- ask questions if all my non-canon characters confuse you! I hope this chapter puts an interesting 'spin' on the story. Let me know what you think! Bye for now, and as always, Happy Reading!**

Bill's sudden voice snapped Keira out of a daydream. She ran to the back of the shop from the vehicle designs she'd been working on. The little boy followed close behind. Bill had promised Keira he would run the papers through the computer more thoroughly.

"Did you find something?" she asked, excitedly.

"I sure did! Turns out, it wasn't entirely written in code," Bill replied, "You should'a had me take a look at these in the first place."

"Well what is it?"

"See for yourself, mate."

Bill lugged himself out of the seat, and Keira hopped in, staring intently at the screen. Her eyes went round.

"Holy shit!" she exclaimed.

Bill gaped at her swear.

"It_ can't_ be that simple!"

"Wha'? What do ya mean?" Bill came up behind her, gripping the back of the desk chair.

"I _know_ this, Bill!"

"Would you just tell me what's going on?!" he demanded.

"This is a language," Keira blurted excitedly, "The letters are all written in a language called Spanish!"

"Spanish?" Bill frowned, "What's that?"

"It's a very old language; I studied it a little under Father's guidance! It's a very pretty way to speak."

Keira was more than excited now, bouncing around in her chair. The little boy watched on curiously.

"Well, that's all fine and dandy, Luv, but what does this language have to do with-?"

"Errol's been using Spanish to communicate back and forth between the Baron and the Council!!" Keira answered enthusiastically, "No wonder Torn couldn't decipher these papers!"

Bill squinted at the screen, attempting to read some of it.

"What's, 'eel…chick-o'?" he asked.

"No…That's '_el Chico_.' It means, _the boy_," Keira explained, rolling her eyes.

"Must be the poor 'heir' to the city you keep hauling around," Bill mused, straightening up.

Keira swiveled in the chair to face him. "The boy is the heir to the throne. He's got to be. The Baron's arresting random children because of him," she looked down at the child, "He's desperate."

Bill gazed at the computer screen for a moment, biting his lip.

"So, what is Errol trying to tell the Baron about the kid?"

Keira shook her head, scanning for familiar phrases.

"I'll have to type it into a translator…"

"You sure about all this?" Bill questioned, "I mean…it seems a lil' strange to me."

"It's legitimate! I'm one-hundred-percent positive on this. Spanish is similar to the language the Wastelanders use on missions to maintain secrecy."

"Right…that's where the little bastard got it from," Bill huffed.

Keira smiled. "You've gotta give him credit; it's a smart move on his part."

Bill rolled his eyes; Keira sighed. She clicked a few more buttons, then decided it was modern Spanish. Bill left to continue working on the vehicle due for Kras City, while she once again poured over the new information. It would take awhile to translate, but it would be worth it. Keira couldn't wait to show Torn.


	8. Special' Delivery

"…I'm too tired right now…"

Ashelin sighed.

"That's your excuse for everything," she groaned.

Torn sifted through the ever-growing pile of maps, papers and coffee mugs on the table. It was around two in the afternoon, and he'd been busy all morning with a botched mission in the Wasteland. He had almost lost all the men. The boy had kept him on his toes, and now Ashelin was bothering him with her desire to 'talk.'

"We haven't had a long talk in awhile," she said, "I miss that…"

"Yeah, well, I've got a hell of a lot more to do now than I did last year," Torn replied, stacking coffee mugs on the shelves.

Ashelin eased herself into a chair, covering up a yawn.

"See? You're tired, too."

"But I can still talk."

Torn grumbled.

"What are you so mad at Keira for?" Ashelin asked him.

"You wouldn't understand…" was the vague reply.

"Oh really? I don't think so, Torn. We've both been through some ugly situations before. What could I possibly not understand?"

Torn pursed his lips at the strength of Ashelin's statement. He laughed, dropping down into his regular seat. He stared back into her emerald eyes.

"I still don't think you would."

"Please. What're you afraid of? I mean, God help us if the Underground has another intelligent, reliable young woman around to help out!!"

Ashelin leaned back in her seat after she had finished speaking, shaking her head. Torn had fallen into silence.

"Keira is a smart girl, Torn," Ashelin assured him, "She only wants to show you she's willing to help out. It's obvious she doesn't like the city the way it is."

Torn sighed, standing out of his chair. He crossed his arms, turning away from her.

"That's what everyone keeps telling me," he said.

"It's the truth," Ashelin countered, drumming her fingers on the table. She stood out of her seat as well, moving to stand behind him. "Why is it just Keira you're blocking?"

"I said… you wouldn't understand."

Ashelin shook her head at his inability to share anything personal. She looked up at the ceiling, muttering,

"Precursors help me…" her gaze fell back to him, watching him stand there. "Torn…you can't expect me to be comfortable with you having secrets all the time."

Torn bit his lip. He was dying to tell someone about everything. He spun around to face her, saying,

"Ashelin, I…"

He trailed off, just looking at her.

"You what?" she asked quietly, inching closer to him.

"I…don't know."

Ashelin smiled lightly, gently taking one of his hands in hers. Torn bit back a grin of his own.

"I see what you're doing," he said, "And it's not going to work."

"Come on," she laughed, starting to rock from side to side. "Nobody's here…"

"But…seriously. I've got work to do-"

"Torn, I'm gonna smack you," she warned, laughing again.

"What for?"

Ashelin just grinned at him slyly. She walked her fingers up his chest. "Because, you-worry-too-much-about….nothing."

She tapped him gently on the nose. Torn didn't feel like now was the time or place for anything like this, yet…she looked so beautiful in the warm light that surrounded them, her emerald eyes shining with mischievous intent. Torn sighed, his gaze locking with hers.

She was the first to lean in for a kiss, surprising him at first. But Torn recovered instantly, gripping her tightly in his strong arms, pulling her closer. They took a few steps back and forth; Ashelin accidentally shoved Torn into the table. He cried out in pain, and she burst into laughter, burying her face in his chest.

"Why," Torn asked, looking at the ceiling, "Can't I have _anything_?!"

Ashelin's laughs were muffled by his shirt. She unburied her face from his chest, smiling up at him. She brushed the hair gently from her face. It was Torn that moved in to kiss her again. It was as if they were trying to tell each other how difficult it was to be apart; how much they cared for one another without having to say it in words…

Torn picked up Ashelin and plopped her on the table, causing her to actually giggle in surprise. Those 'oh-so-important' papers were now falling to the floor like abandoned drawings. The two were soon locked in another passionate kiss, distressing everything on top of the desk. Without warning, the door to the hideout suddenly slid open. Torn jumped, pulling away from Ashelin. He lost his balance and fell backwards; Ashelin burst into guffaws.

"Aw…I think I hurt something…ow," Torn groaned.

Ashelin was still snickering as the visitor came into the main room.

"Hi, Bill," she laughed, sliding off the table.

Torn rolled his eyes, still dealing with the dull pain. Bill strode into view, carrying a package under his arm.

"Woah, what's goin' on here?" he asked, frowning at Torn on the floor.

"Nothing," Ashelin smiled, helping Torn to his feet.

The Underground leader grimaced as he straightened up.

"Did you bring the kid back?" he questioned, stretching.

He was answered by a blurry figure that came running into view. The boy was grinning from ear to ear. He hugged Torn around the legs, looking up at him happily. Torn picked him up, used to the motion.

"What do ya got there? More Eco ore?" he sighed, nodding to the box in Bill's hand.

Ashelin was making funny faces at the boy, causing him to giggle.

"It's for you, actually," Bill answered, dropping the parcel on the table, "It was supposed to be 'handled with care.'"

Torn frowned; the box had holes in it. Bill tousled the child's hair.

"Oy, by the way…Keira wants to get in touch with you. Giver 'er a ring, huh?"

"I'll think about it," said Torn.

Bill left, the door slamming closed behind him. They heard the sound of a motor rumbling, then fade off into the distance. Ashelin had taken notice of the package.

"What's in it?"

Torn shook his head. "I've got no idea…"

He gave the boy to Ashelin, who balanced him on her hip. Torn inched toward the box. It trembled. Everyone was taken aback. _What the hell could it be?_ Torn slowly reached for the lid of the box, untying the twine that was wrapped around it. Even the kid had leaned in for a look. The parcel moved again. Torn stood instinctively in front of Ashelin and the boy, ready to protect them.

"Torn-"

"Sssh!"

His eyes were fixed on the box, tensing as he pushed the lid off of the package. They all took in a breath, watching as whatever was inside slowly revealed itself. A tiny pair of yellow ears came into view. The fur around them was black. Torn, Ashelin and the boy leaned in closer. A large a pair of green eyes appeared, clearly visible against a yellow face.

"Oh my god…" Torn gasped.

"What _is_ it?!" demanded Ashelin.

She noticed that her boyfriend had relaxed slightly. The boy squirmed in her grip, but she hung on to him tightly. Torn laughed.

"It's…oh jeez," he laughed again, picking up the creature in his hands, "It's a muse."

The animal was small in size, black and yellow. It resembled a small puppy, but had the characteristics of a feline. It had large ears and a tiny black nose, looking curiously at its surroundings. It appeared placid in nature, calm as Torn held it before him. The little boy struggled to touch it, but Ashelin still held him back.

"She's harmless," explained Torn, smirking.

"_She_ is?"

He nodded, studying the creature further. It licked his nose. Ashelin finally loosened her grip on the child, setting him down on the table. He was beaming at the animal, looking up at Torn hopefully.

"You can pet her; she won't bite."

The boy scratched the muse excitedly behind the ears. Ashelin still looked uncertain about the whole thing. She edged closer to Torn in effort to get a better look.

"So…what exactly is a muse?"

Torn dropped the animal lightly on to the table beside the boy. She licked his fingers, placing a paw on his arm. The little boy giggled. Ashelin gently stroked the muse, observing it was very soft to the touch.

"Muses are supposed to inspire you to do something; something you'd never have thought of. That's why they call them 'muses-' they make you think about stuff."

"What does she have to do with you?" asked Ashelin.

"Well…my family has a history of artists in it. My mother was one, and it ran in her family for a few generations." Torn watched the little kid play around with the creature, half-smiling. "Was about time I got my own…these things have been in my family a long time. Mom had one…"

"Who sent it to you?"

"…Looks like a friend of mine from my teen years. He knew I was supposed to get one to help me in the KG or something. They're meant more for artists, anyway."

The muse was bounding around the table, now. The boy was trying to catch her, smiling. She leapt up on to Ashelin's shoulder, trying not to fall off. Ashelin picked her up in her arms, scratching the little animal's back.

"These actually run in your family?" she asked.

Torn nodded. Ashelin raised her eyebrows in approval.

"I had no idea your family was so…"

"Boring?" Torn offered.

Ashelin made a face. "I was thinking…interesting, maybe."

Torn shook his head. The muse dropped silently back to the table, crinkling maps under her tiny paws. She cuddled up to the ex-Guard, who gently placed a hand on her head.

"I how come you never told me about your mother?" questioned Ashelin.

Torn shrugged. "Never felt the need to."

The muse jumped on top of the boy's head, causing both adults to laugh. She bounded around for a little bit longer, then curled up in Torn's lap.

"She likes you," Ashelin observed with a light smile.

"I guess she's supposed to…"

He scratched the muse in the scruff of its neck.

"Maybe I'll draw something for you some time," he laughed.

Ashelin kissed Torn softly on the forehead.

"I'd love that," she said, "But…until you straighten some things out, we won't get anymore 'talking' time."

Torn rolled his eyes. "C'mon! We were all sentimental a few minutes ago!"

Ashelin smiled knowingly. She straightened up, tousling the little boy's hair as she spoke.

"Talk to Keira, Torn."

Torn sighed for the umpteenth time, crossing his arms. Ashelin came toward him, leaning down.

"I'll be in touch, 'k?"

"Wait jus-"

She kissed him on the lips.

"I will be in touch," she repeated quietly, tracing a tattoo across his cheek with her finger. "I'll see ya later, 'tough guy.'"

She winked at him before walking up to the entrance. The door opened, and she was gone from sight. Torn listened to the engine of her Krimzon Guard cruiser fade into the distance, grumbling.

"Dammit…" he muttered.


	9. Griping

**Author's note: Hello! This chapter is kind of a filler chapter…So I apologize if you're left twiddling your thumbs. This one's more about character, but action will follow! I promise you; I'm just working on fixing a few continuity errors I'd had originally, filling a couple plot holes here and there. It's all part of writing. *Sigh* Enjoy! Action soon! **

"Well, he's successfully blocked me out," Keira sighed.

She and Bill were in their usual positions in the shop, still working on the Kras City car. Bill fished in a nearby drawer for a proper-sized washer. He made a face.

"I told him to get in touch with you on Friday…"

"It's been more than a week now!" Keira blurted.

Bill couldn't help smiling. "He's putting off making you an agent as long as he can."

"I wish he'd get over it," She huffed, drilling a screw into the frame, "So I stole a few papers- big deal! He's really pissing me off!"

Bill thought with a frown about how Torn didn't even know she had taken the papers. He smirked, watching her drill in the next screw angrily; there wasn't a doubt in his mind that she wasn't pretending it was Torn's head.

"That's the idea, Luv. 'E's hoping that if he pisses you off bad, you won't want to be in the Underground anymore," he told her, continuing his search for the washer.

Keira snorted. "Like that's going to work! I am not backing down, Bill. He's going to have to face it, an' take it like a man."

"Well, neither of you has tried anything. Nothing is gonna happen if one of you doesn't take initiative."

Keira was silent for a moment, as if thinking.

"But _Why_?!" she gasped.

Bill bit his lip, rolling his eyes. He heaved a sigh, leaning against the jack.

"Torn never does anything without a damn good reason, Keira. He wouldn't keep you away unless he had a _concrete_ reason."

Bill punched his palm for emphasis. Keira scowled at him. _Patience_, Bill told himself, _She's only a kid yet…let her whine for awhile…_

"Maybe, it's 'cos you're too young," he suggested.

"Too young?! I'm seventeen years old!" Keira roared.

Bill cocked an eyebrow at her, and she let out an exasperated breath.

"I'm responsible at least," she continued, "I could hold my own out there, and I'd be fighting because I _want_ to beat the bad guys! Most of the members I've seen are only in it for themselves."

"That's not true, Luv," Bill shook his head, "And I don't consider going all starry-eyed for the Commander of the Krimzon Guard responsible."

"I'm not 'starry-eyed!' I'd call it more like…admiring."

Bill snorted. Ignoring the fire behind Keira's eyes, he said firmly,

"The point is, you can't even fire a weapon, much less hold one. Take it from me: I've seen battle many times, and it ain't no place for a seventeen-year-old girl."

"Really? Didn't you tell me something about being in a battle when you were a kid? Something about it being tradition- to have kids duke it out in a ring?"

Bill took a moment. "You've simplified it a lot, but while that is true-" he stopped Keira from further comment with a disapproving look, "That is where I grew up, and it was a long time ago. They don't do stuff like that anymore."

Keira rolled her eyes. "How hard could it be?!"

Bill couldn't believe this kid. The city had done a number on her for certain. All he could do was laugh.

"I admire your passion, Keira, but I think part of this is just to stick up a middle finger at Torn for keepin' you out."

"….No…"

Bill grinned, standing up straight. He began walking back to the tool shelves as he spoke, wiping his hands on a rag.

"Yup, that's what it is."

He walked around to the other side of the car, Keira following him like a child who wanted candy before dinner, refusing to hear the negative.

"I wouldn't be like this if he just understood!" she snapped.

Bill tossed the rag on the table, putting his hands in his pockets.

"What's there to understand, huh?" he asked abruptly.

Keira hesitated.

"C'mon, kid. Let me know."

"He doesn't understand…how hard the past two years have been for me."

"Maybe if you actually _talked_ to him…"

"He wouldn't understand the drastic change," she continued, "My village, to this hell-hole! Security to paranoia…my father and my friends taken from me!" Keira looked to have tears welling up in her eyes. "He's supposed to protect me, Bill!"

Surprisingly, Bill felt a pang of sympathy for this girl. She had become his friend in the few months they'd been working together, and he hadn't had a friend in a long time. His heart went out to her, but he doubted Torn was her 'protector.'

"Keira, I know you're frustrated, but Torn has a lot to do these days, and with the damn Baron running around arresting children –for God's sake- he barely has a quiet moment in that dingy hideout of his."

Keira nodded gently, crossing her arms. She sighed yet again, falling into a thoughtful silence. She shook the bangs from her eyes, leaning back against the counter.

"Don't worry about Torn, Luv," Bill told her, pulling the young mechanic into a one-armed hug, "He'll come around sooner than you think."

Keira managed a smile.

"I hope you're right."

"Always am! Let's get back to work, then?"

"…Okay."

The two continued to work on their car, talking about finding a new racer to sponsor Keira's team this year. They worked long into the night, and both 'grease monkeys' fell asleep slumped over their desks.


	10. The Baron's Orders

The corridors were dark and somewhat foreboding; the light fell harshly through the wide windows that lined the walls. Outside, a thick layer of fog had descended on the city, covering most of it from view. Only the neon lights of South Town glared visibly through the haze.

The commander walked silently down the corridor, at a somewhat slow pace. He was trying to think of what he was going to say if certain questions were to be asked. He did enjoy the brief moment of peace he had before stepping into the Baron's War Room, however. He caught his reflection on the window pane as he walked by, noticing he was looking harried. With a small sigh, he ran a gloved hand through his hair, trying to smooth it down as best he could. The commander had been at the stadium for awhile, doing a few trial races before they started for the season; he felt it best if his superiors didn't realize this. The adrenaline had long since faded away, though his hands still trembled slightly. He relished the feeling of the wind in his hair, the smell of fuel and the potential danger that awaited him around every hair-pin turn. There was some kind of urgency he felt wile racing; a strange sense of belonging and excitement that being in the KG never gave him. The exhilaration that came from revving the motor of the Racer …waiting for the strange sound of the buzzer…the roar of the crowd as he crossed the finish line…

"There you are, Commander Errol. I was wondering if you would show up," growled a voice.

"Oh, I'm sorry, my Lord…I was running a little late," he stammered.

Baron Praxis snorted, folding his arms across his massive chest. He was much taller than Errol, dressed in traditional royal clothing of red, black and blue. A large sword dangled at his side. Praxis had an imposing look about him; he had dark hair and a beard striped with grey. He had seen his share of battles, one of which had taken his right eye and a portion of his face. In effort to heal these wounds, he had been fitted with metal plates to compensate for the lost appendages. If anything, it made him look more menacing than he already was; Praxis was the one man Errol was ever afraid of.

"See to it you are never late again," the Baron barked, "I should have known you to be like this. A quick look at your file would show you've paid the price for tardiness several times in the past."

Errol swallowed hard, not wanting to receive such punishment again.

"I was a fool back then, sir. I can assure you I meant no disrespect."

The Baron eyed him suspiciously as he turned and walked into a large room. Errol followed behind, feeling his pulse beginning to slow; he'd barely avoided that. The Commander straightened up in effort to regain his normal aura of importance.

A third man was standing in the room, leaning over a circular table, watching a hologram of the city intently. Errol stopped himself from rolling his eyes. Count Veger was not his favorite person to speak with.

"Good evening, Commander," Veger said oily, "So nice of you to join us."

Errol remained silent, placing his hands on the table. He gave the leader of the High Council an icy stare.

Veger was a man of great importance in the government; a religious man, often muttering about the Precursors to Errol's annoyance. He was tall and thin, balding as well, what was left of his dark hair circling around his head. He had large black eyes and a hooked nose. If Errol disliked anyone more than Torn, it was this man.

"What information have you?" Veger asked, his eyes still scanning the hologram.

"The child will be in the Bazaar tomorrow night," Errol replied, watching as the Baron paced back and forth, "Though our spy did not supply this information."

"Who did?"

Errol sighed, as if talking to Veger was so taxing. "My men captured an Underground Agent a few days ago- she told us where he was located."

"Are there any safe houses in the Water Slums?" the Baron suddenly asked.

"…Our spy wouldn't tell me," the Commander replied.

"Then we'll have to make him pay the price for defying me."

Veger laughed lightly. The dim blue light of the hologram cast angular shadows across his face, making him appear sinister.

"It is all coming together. Once we have the child, we will be able to fix the Dark Warrior Program, and be rid of the Underground forever."

Errol made a face. "We need more Eco, sir. And if you're still suggesting we use Light in favor of Dark-"

"-It is the key!" Veger interrupted, banging his fist on the table, "Your mind is unable to grasp the importance of such a thing! Light Eco can be much more powerful than Dark, if you know how to use it. The child is a Channeler, Commander; you have seen what they are capable of."

Errol chuckled, shaking his head. Praxis watched the two of them, slightly amused.

"You lack faith, Count Veger- of all men; I would imagine you could have some patience. It is my suspicion that you have no idea of knowing what the Program encompasses. The man Onin foretold of coming has yielded no new changes; with a few more tests he should be ready." The Commander thought for a moment, a scowl crossing his face. "And the greatest Channeler I'd ever seen is now dead!" Errol spat.

"She was a threat to us at any rate!" Veger shouted, "Never once would she have participated- it is better off she is dead."

Errol felt rage broil to the surface. He slammed his fists down on the table; Veger flinched. The Baron raised his eyebrows in surprise.

"How _dare_ you!" Errol hissed, his eyes darkening with anger, "You have no right to-!"

"Enough!" Praxis boomed.

Errol fell into seething silence, glaring at Veger. The Baron walked up to the table, punching a button to make the hologram of the city disappear. A new image sprang into view, this time of the Wasteland.

"I will have no one speaking of that day. What's done is done," Praxis fixed his gaze on the dull landscape of the Wasteland, "We will take the brat as planned; I leave that to you, Errol."

"Yes, sir," he answered, dimly.

"Count Veger- everything is in place for you as well. We need that Eco for both the Dark Warrior Program and the bribes- do not fail me."

"Of course, My Lord. I will be waiting for the Commander," the Count replied, bowing slightly.

Veger turned to leave, pausing to glare at Errol before continuing on. When the door slammed closed behind him, Errol sighed in relief. The Baron chuckled.

"Such admiration I sense in your actions," he said.

"Oh, yes," Errol agreed with the slightest of smiles, "Such admiration…"


	11. The Price to Pay

The Kras City vehicle was finally repaired. Bill had left for South Town to escort the car to the city. He told Keira to stay out of trouble, saying he'd be back by the weekend. Keria had found herself more conscious of being alone; it was too quiet in the shop now that Bill was gone, and even the music she played couldn't hide this fact. Whenever she found herself alone after her shift, she always asked for Errol or a Guard to accompany her to her car. Haven City still managed to give her the creeps.

That evening, Keira was deep into her translations, finding nothing else to work on. The child was out and about, under Tess' care for the day, leaving her feeling a bit lonely. She was so used to having to keep him out of trouble as he wandered around the garage.

One of the pages had already been translated, and Keria had given it to Ashelin to take to Torn. She'd found out that the Baron had made plans to illegally obtain natural Eco from Haven Forest, which was protected by environmental laws. Keira hoped the Underground agents were up to the task of stopping such an event. She sighed to herself, her chin in her hand, watching as the computer mapped out the language. There was music playing in the background, and she hummed along, running her finger along the petal of an ocean blossom absently. She was slipping into a daydream when the computer beeped shrilly, signaling it had finished. Keira straightened up, fingering the keyboard.

According to the translation, Errol was taking orders once again from Baron Praxis. Keira quickly skimmed the words, almost bored, her chin still in her hand. It was all military formality; nothing she hadn't seen before. It was toward the end when her breath suddenly caught in her throat.

"Oh my God…" she breathed.

Keira leapt out of her seat, scrambling for her comlink.

*********

Torn found himself making last-minute checkups for the mission that night in the Wasteland. He'd been planning it for weeks, now. He needed to get to the place before anyone else did; that Eco was very important for the war against the Baron. Torn's eyes scanned the intelligence reports, flicking once or twice back to a map of the city. Everything had been carefully scoped out so that all the agents would be protected. They were waiting in a safe house in South Town until nightfall. It was an air-tight plan. If he had to, he could find a replacement for anyone.

The sudden sound of a cruiser engine caught his attention. Torn's gaze lifted to the door of the hideout, hearing distressed cries from the alley. Frowning in concern, he walked toward the entrance. He could hear Ashelin crying,

"Just hang on! Oh God… Libby…"

The door slid open with a bang. Torn's eyes widened and he gasped. Ashelin came running into the room along with another agent named Jinx. Sprawled across their arms was Libby.

"What the hell happened?!" Torn demanded, opening the secret door as fast as he could.

Libby moaned pathetically, sobbing. Ashelin and Jinx quickly ran her to the medical room. Torn followed at their heels.

"The KG attacked," Ashelin replied in between breaths, "She and a few other agents were caught in a surprise reprisal."

"Reprisal for what?!" Torn shouted, snatching up a roll of gauze and bandages from a nearby shelf.

"I don't know. But we've done _something_ to piss them off."

Ashelin and Jinx gently set the sobbing woman down on a table. Libby was covered in blood; bruises were visible on her arms and legs, and several slashes glistened red on her skin. Her clothes were ripped and her dark hair was matted with blood.

"What kind of attack?" asked Torn, trying to force calm back into his voice. He tore open a packet of clotting powder with his teeth.

"Explosion," Jinx answered, "They caught us in a corner; Hellcat cruiser took us out with one shot. The zoomer's wasted."

"You're lucky to be in one piece."

Jinx made a face, as if he agreed. Torn had never completely trusted Jinx as an Underground agent, seeing as how the man worked for Krew, the owner of the pub in South Town who was involved in several 'shady' dealings. Jinx was more like a mercenary than anything; he worked for the Underground because they paid him well. He didn't get involved more than he had to.

Libby shrieked in pain as they worked to stop her wounds from bleeding. Ashelin swore after being kicked in the arm. Libby continued to thrash around, her fist cracking against the overhead light. It swung back and forth, causing the shadows to distort and the beams of light to scatter. Jinx held down her shoulders firmly and she whimpered. Torn ripped open a plastic bag that contained a needle, saying,

"Ashelin, get me a painkiller!"

Libby screamed, momentarily taking everyone aback. Her face was smeared with dirt and blood. She gazed up at Jinx with bleary eyes, saying,

"Is it bad?! What's happening?!"

The blond-haired man glanced down at her beaten form, preventing himself from grimacing. Her breath was coming in short gasps; her eyes were bright with tears.

"It ain't as bad as it looks," he told her, "You'll be alright."

Torn had straightened out her arm and administered the shot of painkillers. Ashelin had wrapped up one of Libby's legs, shaking her head. Her eyes locked with Torn's as if to say, _It's not looking very good_. The girl had relaxed somewhat, although her breathing was still shallow and labored. She hardly took notice of the fact Ashelin had pulled a fairly large piece of shrapnel out of her side. She did see the blood however, and panicked a bit, snatching Jinx's hand in her own.

"Torn," she bawled, "I-I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to screw everything up!"

"It's alright, Libby. You couldn't have done anything about it," he replied in somewhat soothing tones, quickly working to stitch up a gash on her arm.

"No- I mean it! Th-they forced me to do it…they told me they were going to kill me!"

Ashelin frowned. She looked up at Jinx for an explanation; he only shook his head. Torn cut the thread, moving on to the next wound. Ashelin had managed to stop the bleeding on Libby's right leg, though the girl was still in bad shape.

"I'm sorry," she half-sobbed, half-slurred, "I…don't want to…harm anyone…But, I-I was…scared."

Jinx could sense something was wrong. He watched as Libby's eyes closed, and her grip loosened around his hand.

"Torn-!"

"Oh my God," Ashelin gasped, "She's-!"

"Go into the storage room and get the biggest jar of eco you can find!" Torn screamed, "NOW!"

Ashelin sprang into action. Torn leaned over Libby, pressing an ear to her chest. He could detect a faint heartbeat, though it was fading. He swore, feeling fear grip him tightly.

"Hurry up, Ashelin!" he bellowed.

She came sprinting back into view seconds later, a large jar in tow. The substance inside swirled several different colors. Torn snatched the jar from her hands, turning to Jinx.

"Hold her up for me," he ordered.

"Torn, what are you going to do?!" Ashelin demanded, her voice cracking with fear.

"Just trust me on this."

That was all he said.

*********

They failed to hear the comlink left on the table crackle to life. A terrified messenger revealed their information.

"Stadium to HQ! Repeat, Stadium to HQ!"

There was no reply; from somewhere in the back of the hideout, Torn and Ashelin were shouting. The comlink buzzed with static for a moment, then the messenger cried,

"HQ, pick up! It's Keira- this is top priority!"

She was greeted by silence once again, and she sighed helplessly.

"Torn, I know you're still mad at me, but this is important!"

The comlink crackled, yet again awaiting an answer. The shouting continued down the hallway. Keria replied once more, sounding more urgent than she previously had.

"Torn, you have to listen to me!! Tonight, the mission you're leading into the Wasteland- the Baron is launching a surprise attack! You can't go, do you understand? You have to send someone else! They've been planning this for awhile- the Baron wants to get rid of all the top agents, and this is the only way to do it!!"

Keria couldn't stand the silence. She pressed down the button again, her voice sharp from imminent tears.

"Dammit, Torn, DO NOT go on that mission! They're going to kill_ everyone_!!"

With that, the hideout fell silent. Torn's muse had pricked up her ears during the messenger's stressful speech. She hopped down from the table, slinking to the backroom where the shouting was still to be heard, her tail swishing behind her.


	12. Old Flame

**Author's Note: Hi, once again! This is now my favorite chapter. It's kind of short, but there's a lot to it. There might be some hinted-at stuff with the characters. I did that just for fun, but there's actually a story behind their behavior. (For another time, ha!) Leave comments, please! I'd love to know what you readers think about this particular chapter, since I liked writing it so much. Hopefully I've kept everyone's attention… ;) alright, enough blabbing. Read and review, if you please. Bye for now. – Captain Hilts. **

"You can't! I won't let you!" Tess hissed.

She stood in front of the child protectively; the neon lights of the Bazaar flashed above her like a beacon. Her blonde hair was in disarray, the vehicle she had used in ruins. It smoldered behind her, flames flickering toward the sky. The Krimzon Guards had made a half-circle, slowly backing her into a corner. The little boy whimpered, hiding behind her. She searched for his tiny hand and clutched it. A pistol was clenched tightly in her grasp. She had aimed forward at the Guards, sweeping it across the line, as if daring one of them to shootout at her first. Tess knew she barely had a chance, but she wasn't about to let them know that. Her eyes narrowed in determination.

"So we meet again, my dear Tess," said a voice.

"_You_," she snarled, "I should have known!"

Before her, the circle of Guards parted to reveal their Commander. He walked calmly up to her, arms behind his back. He looked different in person; the many posters of him around town did not reveal that malicious glint to his eye. He was the same height as her, looking her straight in the eye. Tess trained the pistol on him, and he stopped walking.

"Move another step, and you'll have a bullet in your skull," she warned.

He chuckled at the malice in her voice. Tess glared at him.

"Now, there's something I never thought I'd hear from you," he said.

"You aren't taking this child, Errol. I won't let it happen."

Errol smiled at her, and she suppressed a shiver. It was too familiar a smile; something that hinted at a hidden desire.

"You won't shoot me, Tess," he said.

He took a step forward; the pistol cracked loudly, echoing around the marketplace. The KG Soldiers all tensed, raising their rifles. Errol shouted at them, his voice hardly shaking.

"NO! Hold your fire!"

The soldiers slowly lowered their weapons. Errol turned back to Tess, noticing she was breathing heavily through her teeth, fury in her eyes. Smoke curled gently into the air from the end of her pistol. The Commander of the Krimzon Guard bent to pick up his racing helmet from the dirt, placing it back on his head. He raised his eyebrows in approval.

"Did Torn teach you how to shoot like that?" he questioned.

"I learned all on my own," Tess retorted with sarcastic sweetness, "And that time I missed."

Errol smiled strangely once again. Tess kept the boy behind her, feeling him tremble against the back of her knees.

The Commander was secretly surprised at her skill with a weapon. During the time he'd known her, he never would have thought that one day the two of them would meet under circumstances like this. Her hair fell around her gently, in disarray and tinged with soot from the zoomer wreckage. Her pink lips formed a tight, straight line; her eyebrows knitted into a 'V.'

"I'm sorry, Tess," Errol told her gently, mocking pity in his voice, "But I just have to take the boy from you. So unfortunate to meet up with you like this…a nice dinner would have done just fine."

Tess glared at him, her finger tightening around the pistol.

"Go to hell, you bastard-!"

The Krimzon Guards all suddenly closed in around them. Tess fired a few shots, but she didn't know where they ended up; a wall of black and scarlet was coming toward her. The Guards swallowed her and the boy in their arms. Tess felt a burning pain in her arm. She dropped the pistol, watching as a boot kicked it out of her reach. The child cried out in fear.

"No!" Tess screeched.

She reached for him, but it was too late. A Guard was already running away with the toddler slumped over his shoulder. Tess felt someone grab her from behind, pinning her arms to her sides. She struggled, watching in horror as a cruiser hovered into the air and flew off into the fading sunlight. There were still Guards around, their rifles trained on her. Tess growled, thrashing around in her captor's grip. She could feel his hands tightening around her arms.

"Thank-you, Tess," Errol's voice hissed in her ear. She felt his breath on her neck and quivered. "I appreciate your…cooperation."

Tess flailed around once again, but Errol held her tight. He laughed loudly, as if her struggle was so amusing to him. Gently, he fingered a few strands of her hair.

"Calm down," he whispered, "You know, I've been authorized to kill you…"

Tess felt terror seize her heart. Errol pressed his cheek against hers, smiling wickedly.

"But you know I can't do that."

She had tears in her eyes, but not from the fear. She was angry, trembling with rage. Tess flinched as Errol moved in closer, kissing her on the cheek.

"Give my regards to Torn," he said with a smirk.

Slowly, he left her side. Tess could only stand rooted to the spot, her fingers curled into fists. She watched, glaring, as the cruisers lifted into the air and flew off in the direction of the Port. Tess held herself, though she was not cold; her knees were knocking. She wiped her cheek roughly where the kiss had been, sinking to her knees. Tess hung her head and fell into tears.

**********

The Underground hideout had finally fallen into silence. Torn sat on a rickety chair in the medical room, his eyes fixed wearily on the now sleeping Libby. The wounds on her body had been treated, bandages showing bright on her skin against the dirt. Jinx swaggered back into view, having come from the alley; he'd needed a smoke for awhile now. He sat on a bench across from Torn, blowing out a breath. He nodded to Libby.

"She's gonna be alright now, huh?"

"…Yeah," Torn said slowly, "She'll be fine. Scared me for a moment, though."

Jinx leaned against the wall, half-laughing. "You're tellin' me, man. I'd never seen someone like that. Although- I gotta hand it to ya- you knew what you were doing. Calmer than Ashelin, if that's even possible."

Torn nodded this time, his gaze falling to the empty jar on the table.

"Ashelin made it out of here okay? No questions asked?"

"Cool as a cucumber, my friend," Jinx replied with smirk. There was a moment of silence, then he said, "So where the hell did ya get that Light Eco? Even Krew can't get his chubby little fingers on that stuff."

"I made it," Torn said with a sigh, massaging his temples.

Jinx raised his eyebrows. "You- _made_ it? How'd you do that?"

Torn only smiled, shaking his head. He leaned forward, his elbows on his knees.

"Very carefully. Someone taught me how a long time ago- figured it would come in handy."

Jinx would have said something, but he was cut off by the sound of a frightened voice.

"HQ, pick up!!"

Torn jumped from his seat, running down to the main room. He snatched up the radio in his hands, snapping down the button. The panic had returned; his heart reached a pound.

"Tess," he asked worriedly, "What's the matter?!"

"They took the little boy! They stole him from me-he's gone!!"

Torn's stomach twisted into a knot. What the hell was going on? First Libby and now Tess- what had he done?

"Are you alright? Where are you?" he demanded.

"I'm at the Bazaar," Tess answered, her voice tinny coming from the radio, "I'm just a little bruised up…But you have to get the boy back!!"

"Who took him from you?"

"Errol!" Tess sobbed.

Torn felt anger replace the fear. "Did he hurt you?!"

"No, I'm fine, Torn! He and a bunch of Guards grabbed the boy and they flew off toward the Port. I'm so sorry!!!"

"Tess, it's not your fault," the ex-Guard assured her, "Don't kill yourself over this. I'm sending Ashelin to come pick you up."

"Are you going after him?!"

Torn paused, but only for a moment. "Yes. I'll just have to make Hector lead the Wasteland squadron tonight. Stay right where you are, Tess. Ashelin will be there soon."

"Okay," her voice trembled through the static, "Please be careful, Torn…I think Errol knows you'll be coming."

"I'll be fine. I can promise you that. Just stay put and you'll be back here in no time."

"Are you taking Ashelin with you?" Tess asked.

Torn thought for a moment. He couldn't risk her getting hurt, either.

"No. I know where they're going. HQ out."

He clicked off the radio, gnashing his teeth. It was personal this time.


	13. Trouble Bound

The clock ticked eight-thirty and still no answer. Keira was felt the sting of tears, her gaze falling to the small radio she'd used nearly an hour ago. Torn was going on the mission- he didn't believe her.

"But I can still stop it," she thought aloud, awareness crossing her face.

Swiftly, she slid out of her desk chair, sprinting to the back room. She searched for the beaten leather jacket that Bill had given her to wear while welding car parts. With a small grunt, she pulled it free from the closet, running to snatch up a dark blue bandanna from the counter. She shrugged on the jacket, happy to note that it was snug on her. Keira zipped it up, sprinting out of the shop. She seized her goggles from the jack and tied the cloth around her neck. The wind cooled the sudden sweat at her temples as she ran down the stairs of the stadium, the bright lights overhead casting harsh shadows. Keira hopped into her car, fumbling with the keys. Her heart was beginning to pound at what she was about to do.

There was hardly any traffic, which was odd, and she reached the Port in less than fifteen minutes. She could faintly see the outline of a group of people standing on the platform across the water, waiting for the transport ship. Keira parked the car beside the dock, then clambered out and ran up to the group. They were all dressed in desert gear, their faces obscured by bandannas, goggles or helmets. One of the agents noticed her sprinting toward them. He held out his hands as if to stop her.

"Woah, slow down there, kid. Who are you?"

"M-my name is Keira," she panted, "And I'm here to tell all of you that you can't go on this mission!!"

The Underground members just stared at her. A few of them laughed.

"I think you're a little confused or something…"

"No! I'm serious- you can't go!!"

"Get her to shut up, Hector," One of the others snapped, "She's gonna blow our cover!"

The agent named Hector rolled his eyes. Keira noticed he was a tall, burly man who wore his goggles pushed to the top of his head. He had short dark brown hair and hazel eyes. There were tattoos on his ears and a few across his face, permanent reminders of his time in the Krimzon Guard. He wore a black jacket striped with a dull red on the sides, black slacks and combat boots. A Blaster was slung across his shoulder.

"I can't let you stay here," he told Keira, "Either you come with us, or we're leaving you for the patrol to find."

"How can you say that to one of your own?!" she snarled.

Hector frowned as if he didn't believe her. Keira searched in her pockets, wrenching out a small coin-like object. It bared the symbol of the Underground.

"Now _listen_ to me- you can not go on this mission! Something very bad is going to happen, and-!"

Hector was hardly paying attention to her, signaling for people to begin boarding the transport. Keira watched helplessly as they all filed inside.

"I don't have time for this, kid. Is your boyfriend on this mission or something?"

"NO!" Keira shrieked.

"Then I'll be seeing ya."

Hector turned and began walking into the transport. Fighting off desperate tears, Keira ran inside after him as the engines roared to life. The mechanic seized the brawny soldier's arm in her hands and shouted,

"Torn's not going on this mission, right?!"

Hector frowned down at her again. Her eyes showed no sign of deception.

"I'm his replacement!!" Keira fired, her grip vice-like on his arm.

Around them, the transport ship rocked gently, signaling it had left the dock. Keira watched as the back door slowly rose upward, her view of the Port suddenly obscured. Hector smirked down at her, freeing himself from her grasp.

"Alright," he laughed, "I should tell him that it ain't a beauty contest…"

The backend closed with a snap. Keira unsuccessfully tried to swallow the lump in her throat, feeling the sudden pull of gravity as the transport lifted into the air. She stumbled to an empty seat beside Agent Hector, assuming she'd found a somewhat friendly acquaintance in him.

"We didn't trip any alarms, no surprise KG assault. As of right now, we still have the stealth element going for us. That is, unless the newbie wasn't careful," Hector said, a hint of scorn to his voice.

Keira felt eyes upon her and turned scarlet. She was thankful for the darkness that surrounded them.

"I left no traces- I'm not stupid," she snapped, "But you people wouldn't listen to me-!"

"Shut- up!" an agent demanded, obviously annoyed.

Keira closed her mouth, her shoulders slouching. They traveled in silence for awhile, and it felt as though they were still staring at her. She leaned her head against the wall and sighed. The vehicle suddenly lurched as it hit turbulence. A fierce wind howled outside.

"We're landing in five!" the pilot called to them.

The transport ship dropped steadily through the air. Keira stood up, mimicking the movements of the Underground members. Hector turned to face her, pulling his goggles down.

"Here- you might want to have one of these."

He handed her a Blaster. Keira's eyes widened a little at the sight of it. She took the weapon in her hands, feeling her stomach twist into a knot. She was holding something that killed other people. The thought of doing such a thing made her feel dizzy. Keira watched how the agents held their weapons almost nonchalantly, some only with one hand. She felt the weight in her arms, holding it upright as best she could. Recognizing a few of the main devices, she was able to figure out how to click the safety on and off, where to reload and how to aim.

This was all in a matter of seconds, for the ship touched the ground with a resounding thud.

"Goggles, guys!" Hector ordered.

Keira barely had the time to put hers on before the door clunked open. A wave of sand spiraled inside, washing over them. Keira grimaced, pulling the bandanna over her mouth and nose. The grit stung as it whipped at her body. She staggered out of the vehicle after Hector, catching up with the rest of the group. The transport flew off, showering them with a spray of sand. Keira coughed from behind the bandanna.

"Let's get moving," Hector shouted over the wind, "I don't want to get caught up in this storm for too long."

The agents began to follow their leader, heads bowed against the wind. Keira hesitated.

"You comin' or what, kid?" called Hector.

She frowned, as if convincing herself of something. She gripped the Blaster tightly in her hands and fell into step behind them.


	14. Wasteland Warriors

Torn's mind was reeling. He couldn't believe what was going on. The child had been stolen from Tess; Libby had been attacked- what was the point of it all? He wondered if it was something he had done; perhaps this was his punishment for not ratting out the safe house in the Water Slums….

The cool air signified a coming rainstorm. He followed the blinking red dot on the small radar screen he'd pulled up on his wrist. He'd given the kid a transmitter just in case. Torn rocketed through the city streets on a gas-powered motorcycle, a beautifully efficient vehicle that wasn't included on the Baron's machine archives. It was also invisible on Krimzon Guard radar, which made it an essential tool used in the Underground. Unfortunately, with no other vehicle of its kind, the bike stood out clearly. Today however, Torn didn't seem to care.

He watched a red dot blink rapidly across the schematic of the city on his radar screen, noticing it was moving past the city wall. He frowned, twisting the accelerator. The bike shot forward, increasing its speed. He rumbled into South Town, briefly watching his reflection chasing him along the glossy surface of the water. With a roar, the bike lurched into the transport. The small device beeped, and the red dot disappeared. Torn swore, shouting for the pilot to take him to the Wasteland. He couldn't let them get away with this.

***********

By the time the sun went down, Keira's skin was burning. Whatever was not covered by clothing was lashed at with reckless abandon. A tear squeezed out of her eye as she settled her gaze on the man in front of her, trying to continue onward. An agent had told her that the storm wasn't even bad yet; she was terrified wondering how much worse it could get. For her, visibility was near zero; she couldn't understand how the agents followed each other around. They truly were the best of the Underground…

"Where are we going?!" Keira shouted over the howl of the wind.

"We'll be there in a few minutes. Keep your shirt on, kid," was the reply.

Keira managed a sigh, thankful for the bandanna she wore across her face. Her goggles had also worked accordingly, and she was fully convinced now that the old things brought her some kind of luck. She looked helplessly up at the moon, which was barely visible through the clouds of dust. _This is crazy!_ She thought, _I shouldn't have come- they know I'm a newbie. They can practically smell it!! _Her eyes focused suddenly on a dull light in the distance- the flickering of flames.

"We're halfway there after we get through the ruins," a woman said beside her.

Keira was almost relieved at the news. Ruins would provide some cover from the sand. She noticed that the man named Hector and the woman agent were staying relatively close to her; they must have been doing this out of support. She appreciated it, none the less.

"You ready for some action, newbie?" a voice said behind her, "Wouldn't want you breakin' a nail."

Keira glowered at him from behind her goggles. Hector laughed ahead of her.

"What exactly are we looking for?" she shouted to him.

Hector looked at her strangely for a moment. "There's this cave or somethin' the KG found around last week. Torn sent us on a scouting mission; it went bad last time though. Both the KG and Underground suffered casualties."

The way he said that sentence prompted Keira to ask,

"How?"

"Wasteland Metal Heads. Huge creatures; almost like dinosaurs or something."

Keira had never seen a Metal Head before, let alone a Wasteland one. She assumed it wasn't going to be good. An agent came up from behind her, matching her walking pace.

"You're forgetting that Marauder ambush, too," he said.

"Yeah, we were lucky to get outta there alive," Hector replied, his wry smile hidden by a scarf.

"You two were the only ones left?" Keira asked, the wind blowing her hair into her eyes. She struggled to clear her vision, hearing the sand pattering against her jacket.

"Well, Syd was there," Hector nodded to the woman, "and there was one other guy."

"And you _wanted _to come back out here?"

"Sure." Hector shrugged.

"But why?!" Keira couldn't believe it.

"Because, the Baron is destroying this city," the agent named Syd spoke up, "I can't bear the thought of him staying in power any longer. The people are getting to complacent- action needs to be taken, before it's too late…"

Keira fell into silence, watching her boots. She continued following the Underground agents into the desert, the wind howling in her ears.

************

"Can't this thing go any faster?!"

"Have some freaking patience, pal!" the pilot fired in response.

Torn heaved a sigh, feeling the frustration beginning to take hold. He still had a leg slung over the bike, his fingers twitching over the accelerator. The tracker had long since disappeared, leaving him with a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach. He had an idea of where the child was, hoping his assumption was correct. His comlink came to life with a batch of static, startling him out of his thoughts.

"Torn, pick up; it's Ashelin."

"What is it?" he asked breathlessly, snapping down the button for her reply.

"I heard what happened from Tess. I want to come and help."

"No," Torn replied firmly, "I can't risk you getting attacked."

"At least take backup!" Ashelin pleaded.

"No. No more casualties- and I mean it this time. You stay right where you are, Ash."

"You can't do everything by yourself!" she countered forcefully, her voice sharp with emotion.

"I'll be fine," said the ex-Guard through gritted teeth, "Next time you hear from me, I'll have the kid. Torn out."

He replaced the communication device on his belt, ending the transmission. The pilot announced they'd be landing soon. Torn gripped the handle holds tightly, Ashelin's words ringing in his ears. _You can't do everything by yourself!_ He shook his head; this time he could.

************

The Underground agents had reached the ruined town. The wind had slowed somewhat, suggesting the calm before the storm. Pearly-white moonlight washed over sand-blasted stone; small torches crackled above them, flames bending in the breeze. Chills trickled down Keira's spine as she walked through the ruins beside Hector, her eyes wide behind her goggles.

"Are we closer to the cave?" she asked him.

"Almost," Hector returned, checking a radar device he carried, "Just awhile yet."

Keira nodded in reply, taking a moment to gaze around her. She wondered what purpose the ruins had served; what had happened to the people who lived there. Agent Syd was still walking beside her, cradling a rifle in her arms. Keira noticed Syd had strange scars across her face, geometric in shape and apparently at random. Her hair was short and a dark blue, curling up in the back. Vivid green eyes showed through the clouded plastic of her goggles.

Hector suddenly swore, catching everyone's attention.

"What's wrong?" Syd asked.

"I lost it on the radar. There's some kind of interference."

Hector shook his head, beating at the device. Keira looked up at the torches, not knowing what else to do. They were blind in this storm; if they lost the radar device, they'd be walking around aimlessly. Most of the agents had congregated around Hector in effort to stay close together. Keira frowned, something having caught her eye. She squinted through the sand, trying to see. Her heart suddenly shot up in her throat and she struggled to get their attention.

"Hector!" she shouted.

"What?!"

Keira could only point. Hector followed her gaze, his eyes going round. He screamed to the group.

"Cruisers! EVERYBODY DOWN!!"

There was a large explosion in front of them, a bright orange plume of fire billowing into the air. Pieces of the rock walls went flying, thudding into the sand. Keira shrieked in terror, feeling the heat from the flames. She fell to the ground, but a hand seized her wrist and wrenched her back on her feet. Hector led her to the cover of another wall, his grip still tight on her wrist. He threw her into a space beside him after Syd moved over. Keira barely had time to right herself before Hector started screaming again.

"Shoot! Everyone fire at will!!"

Gunfire punched through the silence. Keira's first instinct was to plug her ears. She dared to peek over the edge of the stone as Syd and Hector returned fire from the Krimzon Guards. Keira watched as the Guards leapt from the black and red crew transports, shooting at the Underground members as they went. The turrets on the transports roared, tracer rounds lighting up the sky. Syd ducked behind the wall, falling into a crouch. She jammed another clip of ammo into her rifle and gasped,

"There's too many of 'em! We need to shoot down those damn transports!!"

Keira couldn't tear her eyes away from the scene, watching as the Guards threw Underground agents to the sand, shocking them with tasers or beating them with their rifles. A man came sprinting for cover, only to be shot in the back. Keira gasped sharply, watching him fall.

"Start shooting!" Hector bellowed, firing his pistol.

Keira only stared at him. The turrets came around again, slamming into the wall. Keira shrieked as a bullet grazed her shoulder, tearing a hole in her jacket. She saw a small pool of blood begin to form. Syd pushed down on her head, inadvertently digging her nails into Keira's scalp.

"Stay down! Wait 'til they go around again!!"

She and Hector fell down beside her, covering their heads. Keria screamed as bullets cracked into the stone, sending spurts of sand into the air. The rock shattered above them, the chips slicing into their skin. Hector moved closer to her in effort to protect both Keria and Syd. The former watched helplessly as the transport ship zoomed above them with a strange roar. She could smell the sharp odor fuel from the exhaust engines. Breathing in short, trembling breaths, Keira's eyes settled on the vehicle, surprised to feel a sudden jolt of anger course through her veins like blood. With a small growl, she snatched up the Blaster at her feet, shrugging off Hector's strong arm. The wind lashed at her face as she struggled to her feet. Hector and Syd were screaming at her to get back under cover. But Keira had had enough.

She tugged the bandanna from her face, pushing the goggles to her forehead. Bullets pounded into the sand ahead of her, making two neat rows of hot lead. Keira raised the rifle to her face and screamed.

Hector and Syd watched in awed silence as the kid fired off a series of shots, the gunfire showing a brilliant yellow in the darkness. Above them, the KG crew ship rocked violently, and a brilliant flame appeared, followed by dark, greasy smoke. The ship rolled slightly, tipping heavily to the right. It swung over them in a great arc and crashed with a flourish into the sand. Seconds later, there was a deafening explosion. They could all feel the heat.

Keria stood immobile in the sand, her hair whipping against her face. She stared at the cruiser, breathing heavily. She felt a strong hand grasp her arm and pull her back to the wall.

"What the hell was that?!" Hector demanded harshly, his voice shaking.

"The damn exhaust coils," was the breathless reply, "Faulty design on their part- you hit 'em once and- boom. It's history."

Hector looked over at Syd, nodding. "We've gotta spread the word, then…it ain't over yet." He turned back to Keira, saying, "Think you and Syd here can hold it out?"

"She'll be just fine," Syd answered for her, a wry smile on her face.

Hector no longer doubted it for a second.


	15. And Found

The KG troops were yelling at them to surrender; that no one else would have to be hurt if they just gave up. Keira watched as Hector ran from their position along the stone wall, kicking up sand as he went. Gunfire sounded around them, causing Keira to flinch. Syd was still beside her, ducking down swiftly to avoid the barrage of gunfire. Bullets drummed into the rock, a few whizzing over their heads with a whine.

"We can't stay here much longer," Syd panted, "They definitely know where we are."

Keira could hear the shouting of Underground members far off in the ruins. Some of them cried for help. The Guards charged after the sounds, rifles raised. Syd turned to face Keira, saying,

"Stay close to me, alright? We're moving out."

"But they'll kill us!" Keira screamed.

"Just stay with me!"

Syd rolled to her feet, snatching up Keira's uniform in her fist. She hauled the girl along with her, and together they ran the way Hector had gone. Keira could only shriek in terror as Syd sprinted. Spurts of sand sprayed up at their feet. Syd heard the familiar coughing of the transport turret and swore, looking above her.

"It's coming right for us!!" Keira screeched.

Syd shoved the teen with all her might, sending Keira flying. She hit the ground hard and rolled down a nearby dune. Her screams were muffled by the sand. The turret opened fire, the neat rows of ammunition trailing right behind Syd. She willed herself to run faster, pumping her legs. She dove behind the safety of another rock wall, gasping for air. The turret punched holes in the stone just above her head. The torch attached to the wall shattered, spiraling flames into the air. Boiling oil spattered the ground and Syd screamed as some of the substance landed on her leg.

Keira heaved herself to an upright position, spitting out sand angrily. Her hair was falling into her eyes and her goggles had been shoved to the top of her head at an awkward angle.

"I freaking told you!!" she shrieked, "But no one would listen to me!!!"

Her cries of trepidation were swept away with the wind. She could only watch helplessly as the Underground Agents fought against the Guards. Her Blaster had been lost somewhere in the sand. Without warning, someone grabbed her by the shoulder, and she screamed, clawing at her assailant.

"Let me go! Let me go, you bastard!!"

Keira looked up at her captor, then gasped sharply. She moved the hair from her eyes as if she didn't believe what she was seeing.

"Torn!" she cried.

He said nothing in reply, just staring down at her, his expression solemn. Torn heaved her to her feet and walked through the sand toward the battle. Keeping a firm grip on the collar of her jacket, he reached for one of the twin pistols at his side and raised it to fire. The pistol cracked, and a Guard fell. Torn's face conveyed no emotion. He started running, dragging Keira with him. He threw her behind the safety of a dune, pulling out the second pistol. He fired off a volley of shots, and the Guards cried out in confusion. Torn fell to a prone position, aiming carefully at more soldiers. By now they were confused, spinning on their heels to see where the shots were coming from. The Underground agents took this opportunity to open fire.

Keira gave a start as the shooting began, instinctively covering her head with her arms. The world was a strange mixture of discord: screams, gunshots, swears, the wind howling and the sand pattering on their clothes. When a weary silence finally fell over the desert, Keira dared to look up.

Torn was standing now, staring at the clearing where his agents had been fighting. The wind blew his hair out behind him as he holstered the pistols, stepping over to Keira. He seized her by the collar of her shirt and pulled her to her feet.

"Torn, I can explain," she began, her voice strangely amplified by the silence, "It was- I-"

"I don't want to hear it," Torn growled, pulling her along as they walked.

Keira struggled to follow him, her knees refusing to straighten for some reason. The storm had subsided somewhat, and the torches lit the ruins more clearly. All the KG troops sent into battle were either dead or incapacitated. Torn stood before his agents, who were all caked in a mixture of sand and sweat. They looked relieved to see him. Torn still hung on to Keira's collar as he asked,

"How many did we lose?"

"Three."

It was Hector who answered. Syd was beside him, a pained look across her face. Torn pursed his lips.

"Wounded?"

Hector laughed lightly, shaking his head. "Nearly all of us, man," he replied.

Keira buried her face in Torn's shoulder. He pushed her away. The fire-light cast odd shadows on the group, making Torn look more imposing than he already was. His gaze settled on Syd. She noticed, and gave a small, reassuring smile.

"I'm fine, Torn."

It was the first time Keira had seen Syd's face clearly, and she noticed that the scars across her face were in the shape of Krimzon Guard tattoos. Torn nodded curtly, his gaze settling on Hector once again.

"Head back to the city. Take _everyone_ with you. We'll have a moment of silence for them tomorrow." Torn looked behind him in the direction they were destined. "I'll go on to the cave and see if there's any activity. The kid's been stolen from us; I have half a mind they're taking him there."

The agents all seemed shocked. Keira gasped. Hector nodded at the commander.

"What about her?" he asked, jerking his head to Keira.

"She stays with me," Torn answered through his teeth, "We have a lot to talk about."

Keira winced. She could practically feel the anger radiating from him. Hector began leading the agents back the way they'd come. Syd had seemed to detect the fact Keira was in trouble. She limped up to them, stopping in front of Torn.

"She wasn't supposed to be here, was she?"

"No," Torn growled.

Syd smiled lightly, the warm torchlight playing gently across her face. The wind blew her hair back from her forehead.

"Before you bite her head off, Torn, I have to tell you that she did pretty damn good out here for it being her first time. Took out a transport all by herself. How many of our men can say they did that?" Syd told him.

Torn snorted. Syd shook her head, still smiling. She tapped Keira on the shoulder and said,

"She did pretty damn good…"

Syd turned and left them, catching up with Hector's group. Torn watched her go, sighing. He began stomping through the sand to some unknown destination. Keira followed, not wanting to be left behind.

"Who is Syd?" she asked, "She's different from all the rest."

"She was a Sergeant in the Krimzon Guard. I fought along side her and many others a long time ago," Torn answered, fiddling with the radar device on his wrist.

"But…she has no tattoos..."

"Had them removed. Very painful process. Not even I would do it."

Torn stopped walking, turning around to face her. Keira flinched at the intensity of his gaze.

"So what the hell are you doing out here?!" he fumed, "You could have been killed!"

"I'm sorry, Torn!" Keira told him, "But I thought-!"

"You're _sorry_?! I don't know what I would do if you got killed. Can you imagine what the consequences would be?" Torn was furious, his fingers clenched into fists. "You aren't an agent- that makes you a civilian! And do you know what happens when the Baron finds out a civvie was killed during a skirmish with us?! He KILLS everyone! Anyone associated with me dies- Hector, Syd, Libby, Tess, and even Ashelin!!!"

"I tried to tell them they were all in danger but they didn't listen to me," Keira wailed, "I had to come along or they'd leave me behind after curfew!"

"The worst they could have done was bring you to Errol, and since the bastard has a bizarre crush on you anyway, you would've been fine!!" Torn shouted.

Keira could hear his voice echo through the empty air. Torn turned away from her, his eyes blazing. She tagged along behind him, desperate to explain herself. They came along a motorcycle resting at the top of a dune.

"But I helped out the Underground! I chose to help them, Torn. Can't you at least be proud of me for doing that?"

"You shouldn't be here," he replied, his voice strangely calm.

"But I only wanted to _protect_ you; I didn't want you to die!"

"I don't need someone to protect me, Mik!" he fired, "And the fact that you came out here, regardless of your own well-being, acting like some kind of hero-"

"Who's Mik?" Keira asked quietly, now confused.

Torn's rage suddenly subsided. His shoulders slouched slowly. A strange look had spread across his face.

"He's my brother…"

"Why'd you call me-?"

"Because you're acting just like him!" Torn growled, his voice back to normal, "He was twelve, so that shows you how mature you're being right now!"

He slung a leg over the bike, shaking his head. Keira staggered through the sand, stopping beside him. Her expression was pleading.

"I know, Torn. I can't explain why I came with them- but I did. I'm here, and there's no changing that," she said.

Torn heaved a sigh, looking up at her. The moon showed brightly over their heads and the stars gleamed.

"Well, we aren't leaving," he declared, "Because I better get the kid back while I'm here."

His voice was low and devoid of emotion. Keira felt fear grip her heart.

"Why would they take him?" she snarled, "He's not old enough to understand who's good and who's not!!"

Torn leaned forward, gripping the handle bars. "He's a Channeler, Keira. That's why they want him." He read the expression on her face and continued before she could say anything. "He's the son of the greatest Channeler I've ever seen. She had tremendous powers, and I mean it. She could use any form of Eco they gave her."

"So why use her son?" Keira questioned in disbelief, "Why not ask her for assistance?"

"She's dead," Torn answered, quietly, "They killed her on the day the Baron took over. Her name was Jinny; she was the Queen, Keira."

Awareness crossed her face. Torn had set his gaze on the horizon; his eyes were darkened with anger and remorse. He kick-started the motorcycle. It shuddered to life and roared.

"So do you want to get the kid back, or not?" he asked her.

Keira frowned. The wind blew her hair gently around her face as she thought over his statement. With a small grin, she hopped on the back of the motorcycle in reply. Torn twisted the throttle and they sped off into the desert, spewing sand into the air.


	16. Don't Let Go

The storm had picked up. Gusts of wind blew more waves of sand over them. Commander Errol walked with his head bowed to the wind, his racing mask pulled down over his face to stop the grit from stinging his eyes. He followed Count Veger into the mouth of a small cave, two Krimzon Guard escorts lumbering behind him. Errol was carrying the precious bundle close to him in effort to protect it from the weather. He peered under the blanket briefly to see the child's fearful blue eyes gaze back at him helplessly. Errol replaced the cloth and trudged the rest of the way into the cave. Veger was waiting for him inside, dropping his hood to his shoulders. The Guards were kicking the sand from their boots.

"Is he alright?" Veger inquired as Errol pushed the face plate to the top of his head.

The Commander removed the blanket from around the child, and he looked around worriedly, trembling against him. He noticed Veger and whimpered. Errol felt little fingers dig into his arm.

"He seems fine," he said, adjusting to the boy's weight, "The Underground was caught completely by surprise. They've been disposed of; we should have no interruptions."

Veger nodded in approval. "Good. Come this way; I will lead you to the cavern."

Errol followed him inside, having to duck his head only once. The boy continued whimpering from a gap in his arms. He looked up at him helplessly. Errol stared into the child's eyes, realizing this was the first time he'd ever really seen the boy. He saw the innocence still there, feeling a strange sense of sympathy fall over him. This was the Queen's son. He had her deep blue eyes…

Errol remembered her, how she had been nice to all the Guards, visiting the wounded and occasionally helping the doctors and nurses. How she had been there, when he had reached the end of his rope after Captain Phoenix's death. He tried to ignore the pangs of guilt as he held the child. _What's done is done_, he thought to himself, _it is too late now._

He followed Veger through the craggy passages of the cave, kicking up the sand on the floor. The wind still blew the grit inside after them, and he squinted through the brief haze. The child hugged him, burying his face in Errol's chest. The guilt came rushing back. Briefly, he thought of protecting the child, in spite of knowing he couldn't.

It was not his place.

The boy was beginning to cry, cuddling closer to him. Errol sighed and marched on.

"The wells should be just ahead," Veger mused, "This is an ancient place."

Errol rolled his eyes, comfortably sliding back into his old self.

"Can we hurry this up? The little brat is getting on my nerves."

"Patience, Commander; we are almost there."

Veger sounded irritated. Errol continued following the Councilman, the KG escorts lumbering close behind. The child suddenly struggled in fear, having caught a glimpse of Veger. Errol held tight. Unfortunately, he kicked the Commander in right in the gut. Errol gasped, but managed to hang on. Behind him, a Guard snickered. He shot them a glare as Veger's voice sounded ahead.

"It's there! Around the bend!"

Errol hurried to catch up with him, his expression agitated. He turned the corner, almost running smack into Veger, who had stopped. Instead, the two Guards slammed into him, and he growled. The little boy giggled.

"Behold, Commander," Veger said, "The Eco Wells."

Errol stepped to the edge of the rocky platform they were on, gazing down in the chamber at several ancient silos that loomed up from below. Each was marked with the language of the Precursors and was capped off, though he could see through the covers. The eco inside them was still, as if frozen in ice. Errol gazed around them, squinting in the dim firelight, noticing that beneath them there was a deep pool of dark water. It was foreboding somehow. A wooden dock was positioned over the water, surrounding the silos.

"How do we get the child down there?" Errol asked, his voice echoing around them.

By now the kid had unburied his face from the Commander's chest, gaping down at the silos with wide eyes. Veger turned to face them.

"Just put him on the ground."

Errol did so, expecting him to run. Instead, the kid stood immobile at the edge of the cliff, amazed at what he saw. All at once, there was a rumbling sound. Platforms appeared from the side of the chamber, stopping at the child's feet. He looked back at them and smiled. Errol could only stare in astonishment.

"I don't believe it…"

Veger smirked at him. "And who lacks faith now?" he said.

Errol scowled. The child made a move to walk on the platforms, but the Commander seized his arm.

"It's alright," Veger told him.

Cautiously, Errol released his grip on the boy, allowing him to walk on the platforms. He was careful to place his steps; Veger and the Guards followed close behind. Soon they reached the wooden pier, and Errol picked up the child again. This time he was happier, proud at what he had accomplished. Veger walked in front of them, gazing up at the silos. Errol took note that there were three large silos before them and three behind. There were also two smaller ones that jutted out from the dark water.

"Which one first?" asked Errol.

He was steadily growing impatient; Veger appeared to be taking his time. When he received no reply, he rolled his eyes in frustration. The boy was apparently bored at the spectacle surrounding them, and had turned his attention back to the KG Commander. He yanked on his racing mask and it fell down over his face. Errol pushed it back to the top of his forehead, gritting his teeth.

"We don't have all night, Veger," he reminded the Councilman, "I wasn't expecting it to take this long."

"Then leave, Commander. Put down the child and go," Veger replied tersely.

Errol hesitated. He didn't want to leave the child for some reason, in spite of not wanting to be there. It was like some instinctive notion he had; he decided to stay. The boy suddenly whined.

"What?"

He whined again, pointing up at a corner of the cavern. Errol frowned.

"What do you see?" he asked him, not exactly sure how to speak to a child.

The boy squiggled desperately in Errol's grasp, kicking his legs. Errol fought to hang on to him.

"What _is _it?!"

The child finally wrestled out of his grasp, landing upright on the pier. He scurried past Veger, who seemed surprised at seeing him up and about. He jumped and pointed, whining once again. At that moment, the silos burst to life, each cap clattering to the boards of the dock. Errol watched as sparks of red, blue and dark eco floated through the air. Veger smiled wickedly. The boy seemed to be unfazed by this, still staring up at the ceiling of the cave. He pointed again, looking back at Errol. The Commander strode up to him, pulling him away from the edge of the platform. He looked up in the direction the boy had been pointing, his eyes scanning the darkened ceiling carefully. He noticed movement, and fired a shot up into the darkness. The shot ricochet, then faded. The Guards held their rifles trained on the spot, waiting. Errol pushed the little boy behind him protectively. He narrowed his eyes, tensed. The silo of Dark Eco gurgled before them in the charged silence that followed.

"Spies?" Veger suddenly demanded.

Errol shook his head. "I'm not sure…"

The boy whined from behind him, obviously worried. Without warning, a volley of gunfire spat out of the darkness. Errol ducked, taking the child with him. The Guards behind him were struck with the shots, grunting from the blows. They fell from the dock into the shadowy water and sank like stones. Errol rolled to his feet, scooping up the boy in his arms. He turned to Veger, grabbing him out of the line of fire.

"It's the Underground," Veger spat.

Errol growled. Panting, he said,

"We must have missed a few of them," his eyes widened and he screamed, "LOOK OUT!!"

He shoved Veger forward, watching as a lone grenade clunked on to the pier beside them. In that instant, the grenade burst and a bright flash of light masked their vision. Errol cried out as the dock shook beneath them. He fell to his back and the child rolled from his grasp. Coughing and squinting from the lingering flash, Errol struggled to his feet. A shadow had appeared in the cloud of smoke, and he could only watch as the boy was whisked away. Errol gritted his teeth, reaching for his pistol. He fired a few shots at the agent's feet, grinning evilly as they stumbled toward an open pool of Dark Eco.

"No!" Veger screamed, "The child!!"

Their eyes widened, watching in horror as the agent fell over. Surprisingly, they stopped just short of touching the Eco; the boy had activated another hidden platform. The agent stood up hurriedly, sprinting up the platforms as they appeared. The boy was laughing, waving to Errol from over his 'captor's' shoulder. The commander swore, unable to do anything, watching in fury as the Underground scum disappeared into the darkness of the cavern. He made a move to follow, but the platforms shuddered and vanished to opposite ends of the cave.

"Dammit!"

Errol spun on his heels, grabbing Veger by the arm.

"We can head them off at the surface; I'll call for back-up and we can sort this mess out," Errol growled, "I'll make sure of that."

***********

Keria was gasping for air, feeling as if she had run the entire perimeter of the Wasteland. The boy was clinging to her tightly, his face buried in her shoulder. Torn stopped them halfway through the tunnel. Keria wheezed, slumping up against the wall. The boy squealed and automatically hugged Torn upon seeing him. The ex-Guard smiled.

"Good to see you too, Kid," he said. Looking over at Keira, he asked, "You okay?"

She nodded, moving to take their tiny companion back in her arms. She straightened up, still slightly out of breath.

"I am never doing something like that again!" she declared.

Torn managed a wry smile as Keira hugged the child close to her.

"I'm just glad we have him back…"

"Let's get the hell out of here," said Torn.

He pulled on Keira's arm and she followed him quickly down the remaining stretch of tunnel. Torn still had a pistol drawn, listening for any 'surprises.' Sand was seeping in through the cracks in the walls. Keira made a face; she was sick of the stuff. Her face was stained a darker shade, clean smears on her cheeks from where she'd wiped off sweat. The air suddenly turned cooler, signifying they were coming to the surface. Keria knew they were there when a tidal wave of sand whipped at their faces. She started forward, protecting the boy with her arms, but Torn yanked her back.

"Hey, What-?!"

She never finished her sentence; the entrance exploded with a flourish of stone and sand. Keria screamed, watching as Torn threw the last of his grenades out the gaping hole. She began running back the way they'd come, then skidded to a halt her mind on the Underground leader.

"Torn!" she shouted.

He came sprinting around the corner, still clenching a pistol in his hand. He waved frantically at her.

"Go! They're coming!!"

"But-!"

"_Go_!!"

He shoved her and the boy forward. The latter was crying now, clinging tightly to Keria. She could barely hear gunfire echoing down the cave behind them. Her heart was pounding in her ears. She suddenly dug her heels into the dirt. Torn slammed into her, out of breath.

"What now?!" he gasped.

"I tried to tell you," Keira countered breathlessly, "There's no more ground to run on!!"

Torn swore. They were back at the edge of the cliff over looking the cavern. His eyes widened.

"Look out!"

He snatched Keira's collar in his fist and pulled her and the child to the floor. A KG rocket came screeching toward them, striking the rocks below the outcrop. A series of cracking sounds signaled the rocks underneath them were snapping apart. Torn felt the cliff shift beneath him, scrambling backward. He shouted for Keira to follow. She screamed, horrified. With a loud snap, the cliff gave way underneath them. Torn lunged forward after Keira, catching her wrist just in time. Her scream echoed throughout the cave as she dangled below him. Torn grimaced from the effort of hanging on to both her and the boy. He had wrapped his arms and legs around Keira, whimpering.

"Give me your other hand, Kid," Torn gasped, "I can't hold you…"

Below them, a group of Guards had gathered on the pier, barking orders for them to surrender. Torn presently ignored them.

"Keira, please…your hand."

She slapped her sweaty fingers on to his wrist, clinging tight.

"Torn…don't let go," she sobbed, tears starting to leak out of her eyes, "Don't…"

"I won't. Just hold on," he closed his eyes to gain some strength, "I'll get you up."

Torn looked around helplessly, horrible thoughts flashing through this mind. He could feel her fingers slipping.

"Torn!"

"It's alright, Keira," he told her.

He heard the scrape of combat boots behind him. There was the click of a safety, and the cool steel of a rifle dug into the back of his head.

"Arms up," barked a voice.

Torn winced. He couldn't let go. It couldn't happen like this- not again. Keira whimpered helplessly, struggling to find her footing. Her boots scratched against the stone. The voice sounded again.

"I said, 'Arms UP'!"

The Guard cracked his rifle across Torn's shoulders. Keira slipped out of his grasp. There came a piercing scream. Torn leaned over the cliff in horror.

"NOOOOOO!"

She fell further and further away from him, her green eyes wide in pure terror. The Guard yanked Torn away from the edge of the cliff, and he heard her hit the water with a sickening splash. He couldn't believe what he'd done.


	17. Torn Apart

**Author's note: OHMYGOD!! I am SO sorry I've kept you all waiting this long! I don't know what in the hell happened!! O.o I'm sooooo sorry. Hopefully you will all forgive me for leaving you with such a nasty cliffhanger. Please not that this chapter is an entire flashback. I hope it explains a lot. Please enjoy- and don't hate me for the EXTREME delay. Happy reading. **

The rain fell in sheets, thudding on to the concrete rapidly. It only muffled the screams briefly before they crescendo back into awareness.

He struggled to blot it all out, to pretend that it wasn't happening. But when he heard Mik's voice, he was sure it wasn't a dream.

"Torn!! _TORN_!"

He was running as fast as he could, hearing the terror in his little brother's voice. He could just see Mik's pale figure up ahead, standing by what remained of their home.

"Torn!!" Mik cried.

The boy ran up to him and seized him in a tight embrace. Thunder boomed above; needles of rain pounded into them relentlessly. Torn held his brother close, one hand gripping the matted strawberry blond hair in his fist. He spun on the spot and continued onward through the chaos, winding through the clamoring groups of people.

"What's happening?!" Mik shrieked.

"Where's Tess?!" Torn shouted over the roar of the wind.

An explosion echoed through the air as they ran. Mik twitched and whimpered, leaning heavily against Torn, his brown eyes wide with fear. He clung tightly to his brother's armor, watching in grim awe as a plume of fire coiled into the air.

"Mik, where is Tess?!!" Torn bellowed.

The boy shook his head, sobbing now. Lightning streaked the sky; people screamed in the distance. Torn could feel a knot in his stomach as they continued to run, grabbing Mik by his arm and pulling him along. Their feet clanged on to what was one the boardwalk, avoiding yet more citizens as they went. The ocean spiraled up over the railings and spattered on to the pier, completely drenching them. Mik coughed, stumbling. Torn heaved him back to a standing position, passing the debris that littered the boards in their path. Torn's eyes search frantically through the wreckage.

"Commander!"

The radio on his belt had crackled to life, but he ignored it. The voice on the other end was distraught. Mik screamed as another explosion crackled through the air. Strange beams of purple sparks streaked across the sky behind them.

"Captain Torn!" the radio crackled once more, "You must return- it is too dangerous for you to be out there; you need to get back to the transports immediately!!"

Mik sobbed, pulling on Torn's arm, clearly wanting to head back.

"I wanna go! Let's _go_!"

Torn snatched the comlink from his belt, ignoring Mik's cries. They passed by a group of sobbing women as they jogged.

"I'm getting my family the hell out of here, Sergeant Simo. If the Baron has a problem with that, leave without me!"

Mik shrieked and fell into terrified sobs.

"But Torn-!"

He threw the radio to the ground and kept on going, yanking Mik along with him. The rain was coming down harder. He could hear gunfire in the distance and squeezed his eyes shut briefly, steeling himself.

"Torn, I wanna leave! Take me out!!" Mik screeched.

"Shut up!" Torn screamed, "I'm not leaving until I find Tess."

At his words, someone shouted his name. he looked up to see the familiar figure of Tess, sprinting up to them in a panic, her hair sticking to her face. Her clothes were baggy and ripped, hanging loosely off her limbs. To Torn's surprise, Errol was following behind her, looking just as horrified. His KG armor shined in places with scratches and dings. Bruises darkened his cheek and his eyes looked somewhat sunken by what he'd seen.

Mik broke away from Torn's grasp and threw his arms around Tess, who embraced him tightly, kissing the top of his head. Torn followed and brought them both into his arms protectively. They stood immobile amidst the chaos as people ran screaming past them. torn looked over at Errol.

"Thank-you," he said.

The Krimzon Guard nodded. "We need to get the hell out of here. There is almost no time left- the new barrier is being set up as we speak."

Mik grabbed Torn again, hugging him around the middle. Tess seized Errol's hand and they started off again.

"You've got to be fucking kidding me," Torn growled, "We have to get these people out of here!!"

They cleared the boardwalk area, following the crowds of people toward the direction of the slums. The streets were slick with rain and they stomped through puddles as they ran. Tess cried out, pointing.

"Look out!!"

Up ahead came a swarm of middle-sized Metal Heads, snarling as they settled their sights on the two Krimzon Guards. The creatures leapt at them, the bright yellow glow of their skull gems gleaming in the dark. Tess and Mik shrieked. Torn pulled one of his pistols, shoving his brother protectively behind him. Together, he and Errol raised their weapons and fired. The Metal Heads screeched and stopped in their tracks just feet from the small group. Torn only stopped to make sure they were dead, clawed forms distorted gruesomely. He grabbed Mik roughly by the arm and yanked him along, breaking the boy's vacant stare.

They soon passed the Sage's flaming hut, marking the fact that they'd made it halfway through. Torn spied the young Sage standing on the wooden planks leading up to what had once been his home.

"Samos!"

The Sage peered down at him, oddly calm.

"C'mon," Torn shouted up to him, "I can get you out!"

"No, I'll be alright! Get out of here, while you still can," Samos answered him, "You have people to take care of."

Tess pulled Torn's arm, and they were soon on the run again, only Torn felt the guilt welling up inside him. Tess' sudden sob snapped him back to reality.

"Torn, I can't do it…!"

"Yes you can- we're almost there!"

He looked down at her bare feet and realized they were bleeding. Her shredded pink skirt hung in pieces from her hips. Torn closed his eyes, tightening his grip on Mik's collar. Two more buildings exploded and tumbled before them, but Torn pressed on, his lungs burning. Above them flying Metal Heads circled the city, hidden against the dark sky. Tess screamed, her foot catching on a pile of twisted metal. Mik shrieked her name; Torn skidded to a halt. He went to go for her, but Errol was there first. He holstered his pistol and pulled Tess to her feet.

"Go!" he shouted, "We'll catch up!"

Torn watched as Errol slung Tess' arm around his neck and nodded, continuing on. He spied the troop transports ahead, putting on a burst of speed. He was finally able to reach one, panting like a dog. He and Mike were at the back of the crowd, the latter still clinging to his brother around the waist, squeezing the air out of him. Torn spied a familiar face up ahead and waved his arm.

"Sergeant Simo!"

The man turned at the sound of his name, chestnut-colored hair hanging into his eyes. He scowled at the sight of the Commander and pulled them up to one of the transports.

"You scared the living hell out of me, Captain," he spat, "You of all people should know better than to do something like that! After what happened to Captain Phoenix-"

"I'm here, Sergeant. Isn't that enough?" Torn interrupted.

Simo pursed his lips. Errol and Tess appeared from the crowd soon after. Tess was leaning heavily against him, one of her feet lifted off the ground. She grimaced in pain.

"Get my family on this transport," Torn ordered, "Errol and I are going to get more people if we can."

"The Baron has ordered an immediate departure. The new barrier is almost ready to be turned on- we can't hold them off forever," Simo countered.

"How many men are we leaving behind?" Errol demanded of him.

Simo pursed his lips. "I'm following orders- one would think the Commander of the Krimzon Guard would, as well."

His eyes narrowed and settled back on Torn. People were elbowing their way through the crowd, pressing past them to earn a place in one of the transports.

"Ask anyone here! They'll tell you that's no excuse!" Torn shouted.

Mik looked up at him wearily through flyaway hair. He pulled on his arm again.

"We're pulling out now!" Simo fumed as the people surged into the transport around him. "I don't like it anymore than you, Captain, but the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few."

With that, he vanished into the sea of panicked citizens. Torn turned to Tess.

"Take him and leave."

"No!" Tess shook her head, "Come with us!"

"I have to get more people out of here, Tess." He wrenched Mik off of him and shoved him towards her. "Get on that damn transport!"

He turned away from them and Errol followed him back through the crowd in the direction of the Sage's hut. Mik screamed, struggling in Tess' grip. Torn had to stop in his tracks.

"Why is he leaving us?!!" the boy howled.

Torn turned back to his brother and pulled him into a hug. Mik buried his face in his chest, sobbing.

"Your cousin will take care of you, buddy," Torn said, "Now go."

Mik nodded, recognizing the serious look to his brother's eyes. He ran back to Tess and held on to her. Torn caught up with Errol, watching over his shoulder as his family walked into the troop carrier.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" he asked Errol.

"I'm sure…if it means she's safe," was the reply.

Torn nodded. "Alright."

A piercing scream suddenly came to their ears. The two Krimzon Guards spun on the spot, eyes wide. It was Tess who had screamed. She pointed to the sky, and everyone craned their necks to see. A large flock of Metal Heads were coming toward them, flying through the stormy sky, screeching their arrival. Guards were shouting for people to get in the transports. Torn cocked his pistol, aiming it at the sky. He fired, watching as the red tracer rounds streamed across the sky. Errol followed suite. Together, they managed to take out one of the monsters, but that wasn't enough. The winged creatures swooped down on the group, causing everyone to fall to the ground in effort to avoid them. several screams echoed through the air, mixing with the rain and the thunder; people were charging for the troop carriers. Torn fought his way over as the Metal Heads attacked, Errol at his heels. One of the monsters lunged at the group, and took off soon after, but not without taking what it had come for: a teenaged boy was lifted into the air, clamped tightly in its talons. A woman cried after him. Torn pushed through the crowd once more, looking for Tess. He found her, but not Mik, feeling a drop in his stomach.

"Where is he?!"

Tess shook her head, throwing her arms around Errol after he appeared beside her.

"They're almost ready to leave, Torn," he informed them, "Get Mik and follow us on the transport!"

Torn ignored him, diving back through the crowd, shouting for his brother. A faint cry answered him. He followed the sound, trying desperately to see over the heads of the terrified citizens. Suddenly, he spied his little brother, all of twelve years, standing immobile amongst the horde of people scrambling for the vehicles.

"Mik! I'm here!!"

Torn's fingers grabbed a handful of strawberry blond hair and Mik looked up. he jumped into his arms, sobbing.

"It's okay," Torn assured him, turning back hurriedly for the transport, "We're almost out of here- it's okay…"

He could see Errol standing at the entrance to the vehicle, a weary Tess at his side. Torn clunked inside along with several other people, setting Mik on the floor. The boy whimpered, hugging her tight. A fellow KG shouted to the cockpit.

"Let's move on out, pilot!"

Torn felt a lurch in his stomach. "No, you can't!"

He looked out at the people coming toward them, running for the other troop carriers lined across the street. A woman was sprinting toward their transport, clinging tightly to a baby in her arms.

"We can't leave" he bellowed, moving toward the cockpit, "Those people will die!"

"I have to- the Baron's ordered an immediate departure."

Torn couldn't believe what he was hearing. Not too far away, one of the ships took off, heading for the direction of the Palace. The groups below screamed, sprinting for the remaining ones. They swarmed into to the craft, pounding and shouting. Torn felt what seemed like a million fists hammer into him as the people scrambled inside. He struggled to stand up, feeling the engines roar to life beneath his feet. Mik cried out in alarm from somewhere inside the craft. Torn couldn't see him, but he knew something was wrong.

By now, they were a decent height off the ground; people slid off the end of the cargo hold, shrieking as they went. Torn helped up a dangling woman and child, then a teenager. Errol helped as well, pulling up an old man and a woman soon after. The back door was slowly rising up. Metal Heads screeched by the side of the craft. There was still a sizeable amount of people left over; the transport was tipping up slightly.

"We're too heavy!" Errol shouted.

The transport rocked violently. Everyone shrieked, and the lights flickered. The force sent them all sliding forward. The people hanging off the back end were slammed with shoes and hands. The ship rocked back and forth violently as the Metal Heads outside thudded against it. Only three citizens were left hanging from the back end. Torn was thrown forward as the transport swayed again. The floor was soaked with rainwater, causing several to slip and nearly fall to their deaths. Torn spotted his brother in that moment, and watched as Mik fell over, sliding to the rain-soaked door. He moved to stand, as did Torn, but the Metal Heads slammed into the side of the KG transport yet again, and fell back over. Torn looked up in time to watch someone slip out the back end, grabbing his brother as they went. Mik shouted for Torn, clawing the steel of the craft in desperation. Torn leapt for him, catching hold of his wrist just in time. the man who had grabbed him was gone.

"I got ya, Mik…" Torn's voice was strained from the effort of holding on to the boy. "I got ya, okay?"

Mik nodded hurriedly, the wind pushing his hair from his face. He was breathing rapidly, slapping his fingers to grab his brother's fingers. Torn could feel the back door increasing in height. He whipped around to face Errol.

"Stop the damn door!"

"I can't!" was the reply.

Rain whipped inside, reducing Torn's vision. Mik was a horrified blur below him. He screeched, kicking his legs.

"They're all over! They're attacking me!"

"Don't move! Don't-" Torn struggled to hang on tightly.

Errol ran up to them, falling down beside Torn and grabbing for Mik as well. Tess followed, latching on to Torn and pulling him backwards. He grimaced, shouting in pain. Mik was sobbing. He looked up into his older brother's icy blue eyes, pleading,

"Don't let me go, Max! Don't let go, okay?"

"I won't, kid. It's alright."

Torn tried desperately to pull his brother up; Errol did so as well, growling in determination. Tess screamed for someone to put down the door. Torn gazed down at Mik, knowing he couldn't let go. He'd protected this kid since he was a baby; he was small for his age and always dependent on him. Torn had to shield him from harm, cushion every blow. He willed himself not to let go.

"The angle is too difficult!" Errol cried.

Torn heard Mik's shoes thudding against the door and screamed this time.

"Goddammit! I'm losing him!!"

Torn's eyes locked with Mik's. His brother's hands suddenly slipped from his grasp. Torn clawed after him, but he disappeared over the lip of the transport door. A look of pure terror had crossed the Captain's face. He lunged over the edge, but it was too late.

Mik was gone.

"_NOOOOO_!" No, no!!" he screamed.

The rain lashed his face in reply. He pounded the floor of the air craft with his fist. Tess was bawling, heaving great sobs of sorrow. She reached for Errol and buried her face in his chest. Torn shot to his feet, screaming toward the pilot.

"Turn this _fucking_ thing around right now!"

There was a weary silence inside the transport. The citizens watched on in grim silence. Only Torn's breathing and Tess' sobs were to be heard. Tears showed brightly on both their cheeks. Errol could only stare into space vacantly.

"Did you hear me or not, you sonofabitch?! Turn this thing around!!" Torn howled.

There was still no reply. Torn sucked in a breath to scream again, but a strange sound cut across him. He wheeled around to watch through the back window as the new barrier snapped on, a rippling wall of neon blue. The Metal Heads screeched, stunned by the wall.

The explosion came soon after, one that encompassed the entire area of what was once Haven Coast. The flames reflected brightly in Torn's wide eyes, playing across the faces of the filthy survivors. Thick, black clouds billowed into the air, obscuring the entire Coast from view, destroying both the evil and the innocence trapped within.

Torn fell to his knees, feeling hallow and numb. He could only watch as his city burned to the ground.


	18. Desperation

It felt as if waking from a nightmare, gasping for breath. The air was humid and stale. Keria Hagai clawed through the strange dark water as fast as she could, her vision blurry, her entire body aching with every movement. There was only one thing on her mind, in spite of everything that had happened.

She screamed for the little boy, falling below the surface as she did so. A small cry answered her and she found him struggling a few feet away, his head slipping under the water and obscuring him from view. Keira swam up to him frantically, wrenching him back up to the surface. He coughed and sputtered, hugging her around the neck to bury his face. Keria panted as she treaded water, holding on to him with one arm. She spied a small ledge up ahead and swam toward it, feeling her muscles tightening as she did so. The little boy clambered on to the rock first, then turned to look down at her wearily. His hair was plastered to his forehead and his clothes were dripping profusely. Keria heaved herself on to the ledge beside him, sobbing from the effort. She collapsed on her back, breathing heavily. Sputtering out water, she pushed the bangs from her forehead and reached for the boy, who cuddled up beside her and shivered.

"You alright?" Keira asked.

He smiled at her and nodded. Keria sighed, rubbing her throat. Her voice was low and strained. She forced herself into a sitting position and the child stood up, plopping himself in her lap. Keria hugged him instinctively, looking up at the ceiling of the cave, which seemed miles away. She felt a twinge of pain in her neck as she did so and winced.

"How did we survive?" she wondered aloud, "Ugh. God, it feels like I've been hit by a truck."

The little boy sighed and leaned back against her, wiggling his toes. Keria gently ran her fingers through his hair to check for any wounds. Finding nothing, she inspected his arms and legs. He seemed to be perfectly fine. Keria frowned, sweeping her gaze across the still dark blue water. She crawled to the lip of the outcrop and met her confused reflection below. Something was strange about it…

Curiously, she reached out and dipped her finger in the water. To her astonishment, it glowed a dull green and faded. She jerked her hand away from the surface.

"It's Eco…Oh my God, I don't believe it…"

She touched the water gingerly again and it glowed a pretty light green, then faded away. Keria grinned. The boy had come hesitantly to her side to see what she was doing.

"It's green Eco!" Keira exclaimed excitedly, "It's green Eco! That's how we survived!!"

She beamed at the kid and gently took his hand to place it in the water. There was a bright flash of neon green, and Keira's smile widened. The boy seemed amazed at what he had done. Keira snatched him up into a hug, burying his face in her shoulder.

"Oh thank the Precursors…you're a Channeler, sweetheart!"

She finally let go of him and he sat back confusedly on his haunches, watching as his companion flopped backward once again, giggling like mad. She wiped the relieved tears from her eyes and sighed. Memories of her father's lessons reached her, the ones she almost neglected to attend because she'd wanted to play with her friends instead.

"Green Eco in its purest form, Daddy," she said softly, "It saved my life."

Keria had never shown much of a reaction to Eco, but the boy had a greater ability than she did. When they had hit the water, the Eco activated, 'cushioning' their fall and preventing them from severe injuries. She owed her life to a child barely three years of age…

Rolling to her feet, Keira studied her surroundings, noticing that the ledge she was on led to a narrow path that snaked up the side of a cliff. Her thoughts were on Torn now, and the group of Krimzon Guards that had come to arrest them. She squeezed the water out of her hair, looking around futilely for her Blaster, which had been no doubt lost in the fall. With a small sigh, Keira scooped up the child and tickled him, happy to hear him giggling again. Her footsteps echoed slightly and her knees were knocking a little bit, but she was able to make it up the narrow path, the boy clinging to her tightly.

"All I have to do now is get the hell out of here," she said, adjusting to his weight, "And Torn…I hope he's alright…"

*******

The rocks stabbed at him through his uniform as another powerful shove from the Guards forced him to the ground. He cringed, but said nothing. Blood had started blossoming through the patch of blue on his uniform. The Guards gripped him tight and heaved him to his feet, cracking a rifle across his shoulders to make him stand up straight.

"Well, well. Look who we found crawling around in the woodwork."

Torn scowled at the sound of Errol's voice. The Commander sneered back at him distastefully, as if he were scum under his boot.

"I keep forgetting how terrible you look. At least you were _presentable_ two years ago."

Torn rolled his eyes, ignoring the spike of anger. He tensed in the Guards' grasp and they tightened their hold on him.

"What do you want?" he asked, staring at Errol's boots.

"I want to know what you were doing here, protecting those despicable Underground members."

Torn smirked; at least Errol had told him flat-out. The Commander waited patiently for a reply, tucking his arms behind his back.

"Of course. You aren't going to tell me, am I right?" Errol said, beginning to pace back and forth, "You don't want to talk, because you think you're protecting someone, or you just won't give me the honor…correct?"

Torn just glared at him, straining in the grasp of the two KGs. He finally spoke, in a deadly quiet voice that dripped hatred.

"I was trying to save her. She's dead because of _you_."

"Why should I care?" Errol spat, "Why should you? The Underground members fight only to subvert our authority; to turn Haven City into the filth that is the slums! They should never be worthy of any respect!!"

"I don't work for the Baron anymore- I'm not that kind of authority. I refuse to further associate myself with that bastard and his army!" Torn hissed in reply.

Errol was seething already. "How can you say that?" he fumed, "Those soldiers were your comrades!"

"What comrades? They're faceless- reduced to nothing but mindless goons."

Torn felt the rifles dig deeper into his back. Errol fixed him with an odd stare; a strange mixture of anger and pity. He allowed himself a slight shake of his head, calming his voice.

"I can't believe what's happened to you, Torn. You used to be a formidable soldier…"

The ex-Guard avoided Errol's gaze, feeling the rifles digging even further. He tried to move, but the former comrades stopped him. Errol laughed, directing the attention back to him.

"Just think…you used to be someone I respected. There was a time when I could almost accept you as Captain without hating you for taking Phoenix's place."

Torn snorted. "I didn't want to take his place, but it happened. And I don't want your respect. Not after what you've done to this city, to Damas and Jinny!!"

He had struck a nerve. Errol pursed his lips and nodded to one of the Guards. The butt of a rifle cracked against the back of Torn's head. He cried out, sinking to the ground. Stars burst into sight at the corners of his vision. Errol's boots came into view as he lay there, breathing in the dirt.

"I didn't kill them," he hissed, "And the Baron couldn't understand why you left before all of that happened. He wasted no time in telling me how highly you were respected; how one day you'd be fit to run the city." The Commander sneered down at him in disgust. "But look at you now. You started to care for the very scum we sent you to rat out."

Torn was breathing heavily, grimacing in pain. His eyes were shut tightly; the stars were beginning to fade. He felt a hand grasp him roughly by the collar of his uniform and heave him to his feet. Errol threw him back against the Guards, snickering.

"Don't blame yourself for that girl's death, Torn; after all, she was a_ rat_ just like the rest of them."

The ex-Guard shook his head, his eyes snapping open. "No, she wasn't. She didn't deserve that."

Awareness spread across Errol's face. He took a small step back, tilting his head slightly.

"I see now. That's right…something very similar happened…wasn't it around- four years ago?"

Torn felt rage broil to the surface. He gnashed his teeth and glowered at Errol, who as feigning deep thought.

"It was your brother, right, Torn? Or should I say…_Max_?"

He was out of the Guards' grasp in seconds; the smile was wiped from Errol's face as Torn tackled him, screaming. His fist connected against Errol's jaw with a satisfying crack. He followed with another punch, then another. The Guards swallowed him up in their arms just before he could pull a fourth. Torn fought them desperately, hatred in his eyes, but they were too strong. Errol was furious. He rolled to his feet, wiping the blood from under his nose. He drew his pistol and fired at the struggling figure. Torn screamed; the Guards let him fall from their grasp to the cave floor. A pool of crimson suddenly appeared from beneath the wound in his leg. Torn looked up at the Captain, fire in his eyes. Errol fingered the rising bruises on his cheeks angrily.

"I was right," he spat, "You still can't bring yourself to believe he's dead."

"What about you?!" Torn shouted, his breathing ragged, "What about _your_ brother, Errol?! You're telling me you just _forgot _about him, after everything he did; after he sacrificed himself to save all of us?!!"

The subtlest hint of regret flashed across the Commander's eyes. But his rage soon masked it. He walked up to Torn lying on the ground and drove his boot into his former comrade's stomach. Torn gasped and curled into a ball, cringing.

"Phoenix has been dead for five years. I've accepted that- but you…you're still too pathetically wrapped in misery to let anything happen. Do you realize that half the city thinks you're dead, too? That you've died just like all the rest have? They seem to think you were some kind of martyr." Errol snorted, watching in secret delight as Torn struggled through the pain on the ground.

"…Everything I did…Everything…was for him," Torn rasped.

"Oh, how touching," Errol snarled, "You wasted half your life taking care of the little brat. I should commend you for putting up with him."

Torn felt the rage completely taking over him. He tried to move to his feet, but he couldn't find the strength. His leg had gone numb with pain and the blood was still pooling around him. Torn forced himself to look back up at Errol, at a man who had once been his friend; a comrade he fought beside on the battlefield.

"How can you say things like that?! Mik cared about you; you took him to the stadium, gave him rides on the racers," the ex-Guard shook his head in desperation, as if he was aware of all the evil for the first time. "Tess loved you for God's sake! And I t_rusted_ you with her…What the hell has happened to you, Errol?!!"

The Commander glared at him. "Do you really think any of that matters now? I don't care about that brat, and I'm sorry to know that you still do. You're pathetic; a disgrace to the Guard and this city."

Errol snatched Torn's collar up in his fists and dragged him to an upright position on the floor. He cried out in pain, watching as a small trail of blood followed them. His wound stung with unbearable pain; he could feel the bullet pulling at the nerves in his leg. Errol stood over him, casting a long shadow. He pulled his pistol from the holster on his hip and looked disgustedly down at the bloodied Torn.

"I should have killed you long ago. But this is so much more fitting." He slid a round into place and leveled the weapon at his former friend. "Since you're so worried- I'll take good care of Tess."

"Go to hell!" Torn growled.

Errol smiled a wicked grin. "Good-bye…_Max_."

Torn could feel a strange emotion settle over him; his vision was blurring and darkness was beginning to creep in. But he stared at Errol, right in his eyes, a look of grim determination across his face.

A gunshot sounded.

Torn jumped at the noise, feeling a painful burning in his shoulder. The blackness closed in tighter around him and he slid back to the floor, barely aware of the fact the bullet had missed. He could hear strange sounds; boots scraped across the cave floor, followed by shouting and more gunfire. Torn fought to see through the closing darkness but it was no use. A person was looming over him, and he barely let out a smile before his world went black.

*******

"Come on, Luv. Gimmie your hand!"

Keria stretched as far as she could, her boots scraping up the side of the stone wall. She finally snatched Bill's rough hand in hers and he pulled her up in one swift movement. The little boy watched on curiously as Keira clamped her fellow mechanic in a crushing hug. Bill smiled, and returned the gesture, slapping her on the back.

"I thought you'd be in Kras City 'til tomorrow," Keria said as they pulled away.

"I got a frantic call from Ashelin saying you an' Torn were in trouble, so I came back," Bill shook his head, "So much for a night at the bar…"

Keria hit him on the arm playfully, and he laughed.

"Well, I'm so sorry for pulling you away from your alcohol," she teased.

Bill stooped down to pick up the boy, who looked happy to see him as well. The three of them continued to walk up through the remaining stretch of tunnels, their footsteps echoing as they did. Keria was still squeezing water out of her hair as she asked,

"What happened to the KG troops?"

"Ashelin, Hector and I took care of 'em," Bill answered with a light laugh.

"What about Torn?"

Bill cast her a sideways glance as they traveled. He sighed and did not reply. Keria frowned, feeling distant pangs of fear beginning to creep up on her. They soon came to a larger area of the cave, which branched off into several sections. Ashelin suddenly came running into view, looking frightened.

"I need help," she said.

Keria pressed her way on ahead of Bill then gasped sharply, clapping a hand to her mouth. Several Krimzon Guards lay sprawled across the floor; Torn was lying on the ground, his eyes shut. There was blood soaking through his uniform in several places. Hector was already working on him, a strange expression of fear and sadness across his face. Bill swore softly.

"Don't let the kid see!" Ashelin demanded, her voice weak from hidden tears, "Give him to Keira."

Bill quickly passed the child to her, and Keira took him in her arms, covering his eyes with her hand. She watched in grim awe as Bill knelt down beside Hector .

"Is he going to be okay?"

"Get out of here, Keira! Head for our transport at the end of that junction!"

"But…Ashelin-"

"Just GO!!" she screamed.

Keria turned on her heels swiftly, sprinting down the tunnel as Ashelin had instructed. She held the little boy close to her and wiped away worried tears, trying to blot out the harried shouts at the end of the corridor.


	19. Salvation

The safe house in South Town was filled with shouts and worried murmurs. Someone was sobbing; men were shouting for people to clear out of the way, the strangely calm voices of the doctors stressing that people needed to give them space.

Keira was standing shakily in the corridor leading to the small O.R. room just up ahead, clinging to the little boy. He was watching as people rushed past them wearily, his head turning back and forth with each person who brushed past them. Keria was still wearing her filthy Wasteland clothes, sand spurting from her jacket with each movement. Her hair was in disarray and her goggles hung loosely around her neck; her voice was still strained and she couldn't speak loud enough to ask what was going on. She watched as Hector appeared, carrying a wounded Underground member as he went. He elbowed his way through the swinging door of the O.R., saying something to the doctors. The doors swung again and he was gone from sight.

Keria heard the sobbing coming closer and turned to see Tess walking up the hallway, carrying a small animal in her arms. Keira's eyes widened and she recognized it instantly as a Muse. The little boy reached happily for Tess, but she went on sobbing.

"Tess," Keria said, "Don't cry…"

"Where is he?" she sniffled, desperately trying to hold back her tears, "Do you know?"

"They took him back there...But Ashelin won't let any-"

Tess gathered the Muse back up in her arms, sniffing again. The animal curled up close to her as if trying to bring some sort of comfort. Tess grabbed a fistful of her hair and pulled on it slightly, murmuring,

"He's all I have…he's all I have…"

The little boy realized that Tess was upset and his lip began to tremble. He buried his face in Keira's shoulder and she smoothed down his hair soothingly. Tess forced away her tears and marched up to the door of the O.R., the Muse in tow. Keria didn't stop her and realized she probably wouldn't be able to. She hugged the child closer and sighed wearily, feeling tears of her own stinging behind her eyes.

Torn was supposed to come back from things like this. If there was one thing Keira knew about him, it was that it took a lot to put him out of it. She understood now that she'd imagined Torn as someone who was almost invulnerable- an almost childish assumption- but it seemed correct to her. The fact that he was in there and possibly fighting for his life was unsettling.

Footsteps caused her to look up, and she was surprised to see Syd standing in the hallway, her arms folded across her chest. The fluorescent lights above cast a strange glow, and Keira could see the scars across her face more clearly. They were thin and had faded, though they looked fairly intricate, as though the tattoos had been a special design prior to being removed.

"You alright?" she asked Keira.

The mechanic nodded, adjusting to the boy in her arms, who had now laid his head on her shoulder, chewing on his fingers. Syd smiled at the boy and gently tousled his hair. He returned her grin, but fell back into a weary silence soon after.

"How is he?" Keira found herself asking.

"…He's lost a lot of blood," Syd admitted, "I'm not going to lie to you- it doesn't look great. But that doesn't mean he won't pull out of it. I've donated some blood, so I hope that should help…Tess brought the Muse creature to help the doctors."

Keria nodded again, sniffing. "You've known him awhile, huh?'

"Yes. Ever since Basic- I taught him how to use that blade of his. He's pretty damn good with it, I have to say…not to mention his skill with a rifle." Syd sighed, leaning against the wall beside Keira. She ran a hand through her hair. "I'm almost sorry he's no longer a Guard- I think he could have stopped this all from getting out of hand."

"Why did he leave?" Keira asked.

Syd sighed once again. "You'll have to ask him about that."

Keira pursed her lips and bounced the child in her arms, who had started to fuss a little, rubbing his eyes with a fist. Syd clapped a comforting hand on Keira's shoulder and squeezed it slightly.

The door to the O.R. suddenly burst open, causing both of them to jump in surprise. Ashelin and Hector stood before them, the former holding a small canister in her palms. Keria and Syd were automatically alert. Keria was surprised to see Hector, this burly guy who looked like he could be a Wastelander, upset at what was going on. His eyes were oddly bright. Ashelin was looking just as worried; her hair mussed and there were dark smudges under her eyes from mascara that had run from her tears. Keria didn't even know she wore make up…

"How are they?" Syd asked, referring to the other wounded agents.

Hector shook his head. "We lost two of 'em in the attack...and one more here. The others aren't doing so well, but the doctors have hope for them."

"What about Torn?" Keira demanded, her voice louder than she'd wanted.

Ashelin bit her lip. "He's doing…alright. He accepted the donated blood, but…" she sighed, closing her eyes briefly, "He's not out of it yet- there's one more thing we need to do. Right now, Torn's in the same boat as the rest of the agents."

Keria mouthed a swear, gripping the little boy tighter in her arms. She buried her face in his soft hair to hide the tears. He put his hand against her cheek and tapped it gently. Ashelin walked up to them, holding the canister out in her palm.

"This is a very special kind of green eco, Keira- thank God that Muse is here, otherwise I might not have thought about it…" she said, "Libby stole it from the KG barracks a few months ago, using an old recruit number to get inside. Only, her number was marked, and they nearly caught her and Tess outside the Palace. They were hunting for the Underground for _weeks_. And do you know why it's so important?"

The mechanic shook her head. "No."

"They use it on soldiers to heal their wounds rapidly, only these are for the KG officers," Ashelin held up the canister and Keira frowned. "They used this on my father when he was severely wounded – it was the only thing that saved his life."

Keira was more than a little frustrated. "Ashelin what does this have to do with-"

"This eco works miracles, Keria, but there's a catch: Only a Channeler can activate it." Ashelin laughed humorlessly. "And we happen to have the son of the greatest Channeler on the planet."

Keria looked down at the boy, who seemed to sense they were talking about him. His wide blue eyes bounced from each member of the group, finally resting on Ashelin. He looked thoroughly confused.

"Will it work?" Keria asked.

"It should." Ashelin said with a slight smile, "He saved your life, didn't he?"

Keria gently kissed the child on his temple, deep in thought. Sure, he'd saved her life, but what if that was just a lucky shot? What if he could only channel in emergencies, being that he was only a toddler; perhaps it was only instinctive. But Keria gazed back up at her companions, at Syd's grave expression, Hector's worried eyes…and Ashelin's rumpled, secretly terrified appearance. If she strained her ears, she could just hear Tess' soft cries coming from inside the O.R.

"…Where should I take him?" Keira wanted to know.

Ashelin smiled briefly before motioning for her to follow. Hector and Syd waited outside. The room was surprisingly dark, lit by only a few lights. Circling around them in strange booth-like gaps were small beds, several occupied by Underground agents. Keria could even see a few teenagers in the far corner of the room. Ashelin led her over to Torn, who was lying off to the right on a similar bed, a bright light shining above him. Tess was at his side, her hands pressed tightly together. The Muse had curled up in her lap, licking her fingers reassuringly. Tears showed brightly on her cheeks as she turned her head up to watch them approach.

Keira gasped upon seeing the Underground leader lying unconscious, putting a hand over her mouth. She backpedaled slightly into Ashelin, who gripped her shoulder to steady her.

"Oh my God…This is all my fault!! I shouldn't have gone out there- what an _idiot_ I am!!" she cried.

Ashelin shook her head, gripping Keira's shoulder tighter. Tess bit her lip and managed to hold back more tears. Keira felt the little boy hug her tightly and she held back a sob, her eyes fixed on Torn's motionless form. He looked so different lying there; IV lines ran into his arms and fresh gauze had been tapped over the wounds he'd received. His clothes were still caked with sand. Tess gently laid her hand on his arm and let out a quaking sigh.

"It's not your fault, Keira," Ashelin said.

"But it is! If I hadn't of gone there in the first place, he'd still be awake. And he'd be telling me how much of an idiot I am for going out there!!"

She fell into uncontrollable sobs. Ashelin brought her into a comforting hug. A worried look had crossed the child's face as he watched them embrace. Tess looked as if she wanted to say something. The Muse slid from her grasp as she stood, falling back into her chair.

"Keira…it's not your fault, understand that," Tess said softly, "Please, understand that. But right now, Torn needs your help…okay? Will you help?"

Keira pulled away from Ashelin to look at Tess, who was staring at her, hands clasped together almost pleadingly. Her blue eyes were wide and shined with more tears. It was quite clear Torn meant a lot to her, even if Keria couldn't understand how herself.

"Okay…" she said, "L-Let's get started…what do I have to do?"

Ashelin walked up to the table, checking Torn's vitals quickly, happy to note nothing had changed. A doctor came by after she signaled for him to hurry over. Keira stood beside Torn, looking down at him somewhat hesitantly. The little boy seemed to be happier at the sight of him, and he squiggled to be let go. Keria set him down carefully on the table as Ashelin said,

"You need to find a way to get him to activate this eco. Once that's done, the doctor here will be able to use it accordingly."

Keria nodded, watching the boy as he crouched beside Torn, tilting his head slightly. He turned back to her and tugged on her jacket sleeve, seemingly confused.

"…He's sleeping, honey," Keria told him. She leaned forward slightly, looking into the child's deep blue eyes; she realized they looked oddly familiar somehow. "You want him to wake up, don't you?"

He nodded, smiling. Tess and Ashelin watched as Keira interacted with him. She glanced at Torn briefly before turning back to the boy.

"Okay…but you need to give him something first."

Ashelin handed her the canister and Keria held it up in front of the boy. She opened the cap, and a dull green glow illuminated her face. The boy seemed intrigued by it, to say the least, edging closer to her to get a better look. Keria smiled at him.

"See the pretty crystal in here? Can you touch it for me? Like this-" she nudged it gently with her index finger and it glowed brighter before fading away.

"Can you do that for me, sweetie? And then Torn will wake up, and he'll be very happy to see you."

The boy seemed pleased with this knowledge. Cautiously, he stepped back up to Keria and peeked into the canister. He looked back up at her for approval, and she nodded, smiling at him again. Ashelin and Tess watched anxiously in anticipation. Sticking his tongue out slightly, the child reached into the canister and poked the crystal with a chubby little finger.

There was a bright flash of green light, causing everyone in the room to jump; even the patients turned to see what had happened. Ashelin's lips spread into a smile.

"It worked!"

The toddler was gazing at them confusedly, as if he didn't understand what he'd done. Keira cried out excitedly, grabbing him in a grateful hug. She passed the canister to Ashelin, who gave it to the doctor to prepare.

"You did it, baby!" Keira told him happily, "You did it!"

She turned to watch as the doctor closed the canister of now-liquid eco. He took out a syringe and began to fill it with the fluid, shaking his head in disbelief.

"I've never seen a child this gifted before. We should be keeping extreme careful of him…and it looks like he did the trick," he said, holding up the needle.

Keria watched as he disinfected a spot on Torn's arm, then stuck the needle in and administered the shot of eco. Ashelin had crossed her arms and fell into solemn silence; Tess pressed her hands together and held them in front of her face, muttering something. Keria blew out a breath and the little boy watched on with wide eyes.

The doctor straightened up and put away the syringe, checking the soldier's vitals once again. Keria started chewing on her nails again, and forced herself to stop. The doctor suddenly jumped, shocked.

"What is it?" all three women said in unison.

"His heart rate just shot up," the physician said, half-laughing, "In fact, everything did. I've never seen anything react so fast…He should be coming out of it any-"

A sudden, gravely voice cut across him.

"…Tess? Ash..elin?"

Tess shrieked joyful sobs, throwing her arms around Torn and burying her face in his shoulder. Groggily, he looked over at her, squinting in the lights above him. He recognized the blonde hair and a small smile crossed his face.

"Torn!! You're back," Tess shouted, her voice muffled by his shirt, "I thought you'd be gone for certain!"

She managed to unlatch her arms from his shoulders and beamed at him. Ashelin walked up into his view, and he reached out to grasp her hand. She looked ready to cry, but smiled.

"Hey, Ash," Torn croaked.

"Hey yourself," she replied, "You look terrible."

Torn managed a throaty laugh, shaking his head. "Your beside manners are awful."

He gripped her hand tighter, pulling her closer to him. She leaned down to plant a kiss on his cheek.

"Someone wants to see you."

Keria had been holding back the little boy as much as she could, but this time he wriggled out of her grasp back on to the table, toddling his way up to meet Torn. The soldier laughed as the kid flopped down to give him a hug, tousling his hair.

"Aw…he loves you," Tess cooed.

Torn smirked. "It figures…."

"You should thank him, Torn," came a familiar voice, "He saved your life."

The ex-Krimzon Guard turned to look at who was speaking, and his eyes widened. Gently, he pushed the boy away and heaved himself to an upright position. Several monitors beeped, but he ignored them, only wincing briefly at the pain.

"Keria?!" he gasped.

She grinned at him and waved. "Hi…"

Torn blinked, both in effort to clear the haze in his eyes and make sure he wasn't dreaming.

"Kid…I thought you…I…you're _alive_?"

Keria giggled. "Of course I am. You're not the only one who owes their life to that boy, either."

She walked up to him and brought him into a tight embrace, which he returned, one hand on the back of her head. He smiled, laughing lightly.

"Thank God…"

Keria hugged him tighter, beaming. It was good to have her friend back.

"I missed you, Torn," she said.

He shook his head. "Missed you too, Keira…"


	20. Revelations

_Waves rolled gently on the horizon, lapping the shore quietly off in the distance. The water reflected the sky; the surface was smooth and glossy, like a photograph. The ocean showed a gentle mauve and blue, with a tint of pink visible in each wave. Fishermen had turned in early for the day, their outriggers gliding lightly across the water with hardly a ripple. _

_Sergeant Torn sat cross-legged on a small pier, watching as the city closed down for the night, squinting in the fading sunlight. Above him, the Palace lights glittered like far away jewels. He sat with his shoulders raised slightly, his jaw clenched; his whole body seemed to be tensed. A deep frown had creased his face as he watched the sun steadily sink into the ocean. _

_He heard the shuffling of footsteps and sighed, never taking his eyes from the horizon._

_"Torn?"_

_The voice belonged to Mik, who sounded both worried and apprehensive. He knew how his brother could get when he was angry; sometimes it was best just to leave him alone. But something was different about him, then._

_"Yeah, Mik?" Torn sighed._

_The boy edged closer to him, ratty sneakers scratching at the boards. Torn could tell he'd just slipped them on without tying them and smirked. Mik fiddled with the Krimzon Guard I.D. bracelet Torn had given him before he left for Basic Training, which bared his recruit number. The nine-year-old hardly took off the damn thing._

_"Are…are you mad at Tessie?"_

_"No."_

_"Are you mad at me?"_

_Torn laughed lightly. "No, I'm not."_

_Mik frowned, a breeze blowing his hair. He looked out across the ocean, watching as the last of the outriggers floated back to their respective docks. Mik sighed and went back to spinning the bracelet around his thin wrist. Torn suddenly laughed at him, and he looked up with a frown. _

_"What?"_

_"C'mere."_

_Mik walked up to him and sat in his lap, something he hadn't done in a long time. Being small for his age, Torn had always been able to pick him up and give him piggy back rides or throw him over his shoulder when he was in trouble. But sitting in his lap was different- he'd only done it when he was littler, or whenever he was sick. Mik sighed and leaned back against his brother, watching the sunset. Torn slung his arms around him and placed his chin on Mik's head. _

_"I'm worried about you, Torn."_

_"Really? How's that?" he seemed surprised._

_"You're acting so weird lately," Mik admitted, tapping his fingers over each number on the bracelet, "And you've been…I dunno…more angry ever since I started school."_

_The boy turned to look up at Torn and stared at him with somewhat pleading brown eyes. Torn smirked._

_"You wanna know the truth? I'll tell ya if you want to know…we're brothers, and you have a right to know, I guess."_

_Mik nodded. "Yeah. I promise not to tell Tessie." Before Torn could say anything, Mik spoke up again, "Are you in love? That would make a lot of sense!!"_

_The oldest made a face, shaking his head. "No! That's not it at all."_

_Mik looked slightly disappointed. "Fine…"_

_He turned back to face the ocean, watching the waves roll on through Haven Coast and back to the shore. A small sigh escaped him as he waited, leaning back against his brother to hear what he had to say._

_"I'm actually worried about you," Torn admitted, "You're nine, now. That's how old I was when you were born…and you were born two months early. You were a really tiny baby, and now," he sighed, looking up at the Palace. Hugging Mik unconsciously, he said, "You're bigger. It just occurred to me that you're going to grow up, that maybe you'll hate me when you're say- seventeen. And you'll get taller and have acne…and girlfriends."_

_"Eeew!!" Mik cringed. _

_Torn laughed. "See what I mean?"_

_His little brother turned to gaze up at him and seemingly studied him for a moment. The fading sunlight showed pink on their skin, and the waves crashed on the shore ahead of them. Mik bit his lip before speaking, as if in thought._

_"But don't I have to grow up, Torn?" he asked. When he nodded his reply, Mik frowned. "Why are you afraid of it then? I don't get it."_

_"…Because. You'll either join the Guard like me, or be a racer, like I don't want you to be-" and Mik smiled, "Or, you'll be something else I haven't thought of yet, and there's plenty of things I don't want you to do."_

_Torn shook his head as the thoughts filled his head. "I'm not even sure I want you to be a Guard."_

_"Maybe I'll be an artist like Mom was," the boy offered with a sigh, closing one eye as Torn ruffled his hair. "She'd hate your tattoos."_

_"You say that all the time, kid. I'm well aware of it."_

_Mik smiled, feeling protected and strangely at peace sitting in his brother's lap. He spun the bracelet around his wrist until Torn was annoyed by it and stopped the noise himself. Torn put his chin on Mik's head once again, watching as the color drained from the sky. He sighed, wondering why it had taken this long to realize Mik growing up was inevitable. It had just hit him that day, while Tess had been waving the grade card in front of his nose; the writing in red that informed them Mik had developed a bit of an attitude with his math teacher…_

_Torn's first thought had been, _Oh God-he's almost a teenager_. And then it had gone bad from there…_

_"I'll try not to grow up," Mik suddenly said, watching as a gull circled above them, perching on a hut in the distance. "But I don't think it's going to work…"_

_Torn grinned. "I appreciate the effort- that's all that counts. And about your math teacher…"_

_Mik tensed, looking slightly worried._

_"Yeah…?"_

_"I understand completely. Math is a pain in the ass."_

_The nine-year-old giggled, leaning back against his brother's shoulder in relief. He looked up at him and smiled._

_"I knew you'd understand!"_

_Torn nodded. "Believe me, I do. Sergeant Simo's still mad at me for messing up those shipment charts a few months ago."_

_Mik sighed, stretching out so that his feet were in front of him. He moved them from side to side, watching the laces bounce on his shoes. It looked like the sun was setting between his sneakers and he smirked at the thought. _

_"…Thanks, Torn," he suddenly said._

_His brother gave him a small hug. "Don't mention it, Mik…"_

*******

Torn slept for close to two days after the incident in the Wasteland, which wasn't normal for him considering all the work he did on a daily basis. Ashelin remained in the safe house for as long as she could, coming back between shifts in the KG to check in on him. Hector stayed with Torn and the doctors, acting as somewhat of a bodyguard; the Guard had launched a series of extensive patrols and the streets were packed with soldiers and Cruisers for two days. Errol remained in the Palace, apparently plotting a new way to eliminate the Underground for good.

Of course, Torn had been more than anxious to leave the safe house and head back to the Underground hideout, where he would feel more at 'home.' Hector would be taking him back close to sundown, as they would be less conspicuous in the semi-darkness. He was working on loading up the zoomer with everything they needed to take back, muttering swears at he did so.

"How much crap do we need to take back?" he huffed as Torn walked into view, hauling a bag stuffed with medical supplies.

"As much as we can," was the reply.

Hector made a face and practically threw himself on the back end of the car to close the trunk. It snapped shut and he tapped it contentedly with a relieved smirk. Torn rolled his eyes, hopping into the passenger's seat.

"Never a subtle man, right, Hector?"

His friend jumped behind the wheel and the whole car seemed to sag from his added weight. He started up the engine, shaking his head.

"Never in my life, dude," he said.

They traveled onward through the city, taking the back roads to avoid the KG patrols as much as possible. Torn held a small box in his lap, wincing every time they hit turbulence or stopped too fast.

"It'll be fine," Hector sighed, "It's just an animal."

Torn grumbled and peeked into the box, where the muse's terrified green eyes looked back at him. Hector shook his head.

"She'll be _fine_."

They turned a corner sharply and Torn swore as the car swerved. Hector leaned on the horn and shouted at the driver in front of him.

"What the hell is wrong with you, man?! Get in your own damn lane!!"

"Hector-"

Torn watched as the driver in front of them presently stuck up his middle finger, causing Hector accelerate angrily. They cut across the other driver and sped up the remaining stretch of space. As they left him behind, Hector returned the rude gesture and turned the corner into the Industrial sector.

"For God's sake," Torn blurted, "I don't want to get arrested for something stupid like that!!"

"That guy was really out of line, dude."

Torn rolled his eyes leaning against the door and attempting to cross his arms. The car continued on to the slums, and they maintained a relative silence for the rest of the trip. Billboards flashed brilliantly above them, and the street lights began to snap on as they went. Hector suddenly reached into his jeans pocket.

"Here- Ashelin wanted me to give you this."

Torn frowned as his friend handed him a picture. He grunted a laugh.

"Where'd she get this?"

"Keira gave it to her. She said when she first came to the city, people sent her to Onin. Apparently, Onin gave her that picture and told Keira to find you."

Torn smirked at his old service photograph, remembering how he'd been late for the appointment. He was depressed by the fact he'd looked much younger and healthier two years ago. Curiously, he flipped the picture over and raised his eyebrows. The seal of Mar was stamped on the back.

"She was one of the kids we didn't get a hold of," Torn mused, "Remember, we thought the KG had caught all of 'em?"

Hector nodded. "I barely remember seeing Keria's picture floating around the HQ once or twice…I know Syd said it was a shame we couldn't get to 'em in time."

The car lurched down to the street level and Hector parked the car, sliding out to get some of the cargo from the trunk. Torn pocketed the photo and eased himself out of his seat as well, careful to not hurt his leg. It was doing much better than previously but it still hurt him dully every now and then.

The hideout was a welcoming place of safety and security. Torn had never been happier to set foot inside the crappy little building. After Hector opened the secret door and they walked down the hallway, Torn was bombarded with hugs. Tess, Keira and the boy had fastened themselves to him, and he now found it was getting a little difficult to breathe. Bill was sitting at the table, eating something; Jinx and Libby were leaning against the far wall and Syd went to help Hector carry his 'luggage' down the stairs.

"Alright…Can you guys maybe let go now?"

Keira released her grip sheepishly, muttering an apology. Tess squeezed him one final time, smiling. Torn picked up the child in his arms, relieved he could breathe again. Bill nodded to him as he walked further into the hideout.

"Good to see ya up and about, mate," he said, "Kept your seat warm for ya."

"Thanks, Bill," Torn smirked.

He set the box with the muse gently on the table and she slid out of it, stretching gratefully. Tess automatically scooped her up in her arms and cuddled her.

"Aw, I missed little Myra, yes I did!" she cooed.

The muse licked her on the cheek, as if trying to display enough affection for Tess to leave her alone. Tess had been the one to give her a name, and it seemed to suit her. The group in the Underground HQ all gave Torn a warm welcome back, and it was quite clear they had all been worried about him. He was flattered, to say the least. And he wasn't used to the sudden display of affection for him, either.

Darkness fell, and everything returned-for the most part- back to normal. Hector and Syd left to go on a reconnaissance mission; Torn needed to know where the patrols would be heaviest if he was going to send anyone else on an errand or two. Bill headed for the stadium, but left Keira behind. Libby agreed to take the boy with her, and Torn watched critically as she left with Jinx in tow. He smiled and waved to the boy as they left, but it soon faded after he watched Jinx sling an arm around Libby's waist. Before he could say anything the door closed and they were gone from sight. Torn growled. Keria giggled, moving to sit on the table beside him. Tess shook her head and rolled her eyes.

"They're cute together," she said.

Torn made a face. "Libby's going to kill me in more ways than one."

He gently pet the sleeping Myra on the head, who had curled up on the table next to his elbow as he forged traveler's documents. Torn found she was useful; he'd been able to think of fake names that didn't sound obvious- it had been getting harder to create them lately.

"You're so protective, it's funny," Keira smiled, "I almost feel sorry for Ashelin."

"She can take care of herself. I've known Libby and Tess too long to ever stop worrying about them," Torn replied, leaning back in his seat to stretch.

Tess made a face, hitting him on the shoulder. She gathered up her things from around the room and stuffed a small wad of bills into her pocket.

"I better go get a bunch of food before we all run out," she sighed. Seeing the look on Torn's face, she leaned forward and added, "Don't worry, I've got a pistol just incase, and I'll keep my eyes peeled."

"If you run into any trouble, there's a safe house a few blocks away."

"I _know_," Tess gasped, slinging her purse over her shoulder. She fluffed her hair a little and waved at Keria. She stuck her tongue out at Torn.

To Keria's surprise, he did it right back. Tess laughed and shook her head, walking up the small staircase to the door.

"See ya later, Max," she smiled.

Torn grumbled, crossing his arms. Keria tilted her head and frowned slightly as the door shut. She kicked her legs and asked,

"So what's your connection to Tess?"

Torn yawned. "She's my cousin. And the first to join the Underground with me."

He heaved himself out of his chair, taking a sip of water from one of the mugs on the table. Myra watched him lazily, then put her head back between her paws. Torn cringed at the taste, his eyes settling back on Keira.

"I suppose the only reason you're still here is because you want to apologize for some reason."

She winced. "You got me."

Torn laughed lightly, replacing the mug back on the table, shoving a few papers out of the way. Myra twitched and stretched as the papers gently tapped her fur.

"Well…you don't need to apologize for anything, kid. And I mean that. But you really should have thought about it more than you did."

"I didn't want them to kill you," Keira admitted.

"It takes a lot of guts to try and save my worthless hide; I haven't been that scared in years- congratulations to you," Torn said. He took a moment to look around the hideout, putting his hands on his hips. He looked back up at the teen sitting on the table and continued.

"And for your compassion…there's something I want to tell you…"

Keria slid off the table and her boots clapped against the concrete. Torn walked past her and led her outside the hideout. She frowned at him as he held out his hand for her car keys. She dropped them in his palm and they both clambered into her vehicle parked at the end of the alley.

"Where are we going?" Keira questioned as the car lurched into the air.

"Dead Town," was the reply.

The air was cool and the light had all but faded from the sky. The city had lit up considerably, however, and Keira squinted in several of the incandescent neon signs. They flew past a Krimzon Guard recruiting station, the insignia glaring brightly in the night sky.

"Have you ever been there?" Torn wanted to know.

Keria shook her head. "I've heard about it…apparently something bad happened to the place; the anniversary for it was only a few months ago. I remember asking Bill, but he didn't talk about it that much. Why is it called that?"

"...Four years ago, it used to be called Haven Coast. I lived there, in fact, with my little brother, Mik, and Tess." Torn smiled shaking his head. "People went on about how it was the 'safest place in Haven,' because it was protected by both the city wall and the ocean."

Keira could sense the hesitation in his voice, as if he was forcing himself to talk about it. She almost regretted pressing him further, but she was interested.

"The Metal Heads launched a surprise attack- it was in retaliation for when we tried to destroy their nest about a year earlier. We later found out there was a problem with the 'B' grid in the city wall; it was either sabotaged or somebody neglected to notice it was in need of repair." Torn paused briefly to change lanes, looking behind him as he did so. "Whatever the reason, the sector was completely destroyed… and it was the Baron's fault."

"How- how badly?" Keira asked, the wind blowing her hair.

Torn sighed. "You can't put it in words, at least I can't. Not after living in the first form of it…"

They flew into what appeared to be a dead end. Torn parked the car, and they both slid out of it on to the street. Keria realized there was a security door in a small ditch ahead of them. Torn pocketed the keys and dropped down carefully into the hole, helping Keira along. They stepped closer to the door and the gears began clicking to open it. A grim look had crossed Torn's face as the first security door opened. They stepped into the airlock together and waited. Torn looked down at her.

"You ready?'

Keria nodded as the door finally slid aside and a computerized voice said, _leaving city safe zone._ Torn walked ahead of her, and she caught up with him, not wanting to be left alone. What she saw caused her to slap her hands over her mouth.

The place was absolutely devastated. Amazingly, the lights in the area still worked, and they cast an eerie glow throughout the ruined buildings. The water left within the wreckage was a dull brown, the color of sludge. The ground was soft and crumbling; dust rose into the air with every step. All around them, buildings and walkways stood in disrepair, mere skeletons of their formers selves. The moon was bright, and cast long shadows through the debris piles. Keira circled around, gaping at the devastation. Torn scanned the area briefly, looking at his boots with a somber expression. He slipped his hands in his pockets and waited for her to say something.

"Oh my God," Keria breathed, "This is…horrible!"

Torn nodded, looking around grimly. "I came back here after the attack to look for my brother. All I found was this."

He dug into his pocket and presented something to her in his palm. Keria took it carefully in her fingers, inspecting it with a frown.

"A KG identity band," she mused, "Was this yours?"

Torn gave a slight nod, and Keira went back to inspect it delicately.

"I gave it to him when he was eight, the day I let for Boot Camp. It was so he wouldn't feel bad when I was gone."

Keria ran her thumb gently over the blackened plastic band, which had no doubt been larger at one point in time. She could just see the faded numbers of Torn's recruit number: 8-21-52. Keria bit her lip.

"Is he…?"

"Yeah," Torn said, avoiding her eyes, "If he wasn't, he would've come back to get that from me."

Keria looked down at the bracelet one final time before passing it back to him. Torn smirked.

"Mik never took it off…"

"I'm sorry, Torn," Keira told him gently, putting a hand on his shoulder.

"It's alright." He looked up again, jerking his head to the ruins of a fair-sized house up ahead. "We used to live there."

Keira followed his gaze, wincing. The building was blackened, the windows blown out; the roof was gone completely. Torn reached up and pointed, jabbing his finger in the air.

"Mik's room, Tess', mine," he said.

Keira's eyes fixed on each gaping hole that had once been a room. She hugged Torn's arm and leaned against him. Words escaped her as she stared at the horribly twisted remains of what had once been a prosperous sector of Haven City.

"I'm so sorry," she found herself saying.

"It's not your fault."

Torn led her away past the broken homes and the slabs of concrete that had fallen from the structures above. A cool breeze whipped across the empty place, and Keria shivered. Her eyes settled on a ruined tower that loomed over them. A flag bearing the Baron's seal snapped loudly in the wind.

"What did the Baron have to say for himself?" Keira asked quietly.

Torn's eyes flashed with forgotten anger. "I'll never forget it, kid. It was pouring down rain, and the transports full of survivors landed in front of the Palace. We walked through the rain again up the stairs, and everyone huddled into the entrance hall. The KGs in the transports were livid. Tess and Hector were with us, thank God…" Torn winced. "But Mik wasn't."

"What did you do?'

"I was the first one inside, Keira. I was slamming open doors and throwing things across the room, screaming for Praxis to show himself. The Guards in the transports had all lost someone in the attack, and I led them screaming for a new leader. We were damn close to rioting. And when the bastard finally showed up, I wanted to kill him. If Damas hadn't of come to calm us down, I think we all would have."

Torn paused again, seemingly trying to calm himself, realizing his voice had gotten slightly loud. Keira still hugged his arm as they walked through the ruins, not really on a set course. The stars glittered brightly and the moonlight split their shadows into spindly shapes.

"Bill's talked about someone named Damas before," Keria spoke up, "He said Damas was the original leader of Haven City. His wife must be Jinny, right?"

Torn nodded. "Bill would know- he used to be their bodyguard. Damas punished Praxis for what he did and threw him in prison. We learned that Praxis had been in charge of the explosion that killed everything in this sector." Keria felt Torn's fingers clench into fists. He looked up at the banner and sneered. "Support was split between loyalists to Praxis and Damas. I left soon after that… I couldn't associate with that shit anymore. I formed the Underground a few weeks later."

"And I'm guessing the Baron didn't take too well to being thrown in prison. He…he did something to Damas, didn't he?" Keria said, fearing the answer.

"Praxis staged a coup," Torn explained with a nod. He kicked at a rock, and it skipped across the wasted ground, a trail of dust following behind it. "He was hell-bent on some kind of warped revenge; apparently he had enough followers to get it done quickly, but they screwed it up. Jinny was killed; Veger had wanted her to live, of course, so he took the baby instead."

"You mean, the little boy?"

"Yeah. I don't know how it happened, but Bill somehow got a hold of the kid, and gave him to Tess to take back to me. And then you came along two years later." Torn smiled humorlessly. "You're all caught up, now."

Torn went on to tell Keria how the Baron had fooled people into thinking Damas had been a traitor the entire time; how he'd let Haven Coast be attacked by the Metal Heads. Praxis stressed that he had been thrown in prison as a way of keeping the Truth from being told. The place had been the subject of an assassination attempt a few months before, and Torn was regretful of the fact no one seemed to catch on. Damas was exiled to the Wasteland and left to die; his wife was buried respectfully, and her baby had been reported 'kidnapped' by the Underground. What followed, Keira already knew.

"Didn't the people know the Truth, or at least realize the Baron was lying through his teeth?!" she gasped in disbelief.

Torn shook his head and shrugged slightly. "I don't know, Keira, seeing as how people have practically ignored his disgraceful existence since taking the throne that fateful day…" He looked up at the moon and smiled slightly. "Maybe they're all stupid- I have no idea. But the Underground continues to expand everyday, and that I'm thankful for."

Keria gazed up at him and felt the need to embrace him; he'd been through so much, and she hadn't given it that much thought. She had new respect for him, now.

"Torn?"

"Hm?"

"Do you think we'll get enough people to overthrow Praxis?"

"We're close. He can't keep this up, not with the Eco shortage and the Metal Head threats; the people will catch on sooner than later. All I know is, he's making a mockery out of that Palace." Torn jerked a thumb behind at the infamous building. "I remember that place looking a lot better when I was a Guard."

Keira smirked. "I've never really looked at it with any-"

She trailed off and stopped walking. Torn's arm slipped from her grasp, and he came to a halt as well. A look of complete astonishment had crossed the teen's face.

"What? What is it?" Torn asked her questioningly.

"H-How…wha..I.."

"Keira, what's the matter?!"

"What is that doing here?!" she demanded, her voice cracking in a screech.

Torn followed her quivering finger skyward and turned. The Sage's ruined hut came into view, its straw roof punctured with holes, the wooden planks bent and splintered in several places. A small flock of black birds circled above it, cawing. Torn faced Keira, surprised to see she was genuinely disturbed by something.

"That's the Old House," he informed her, "It's where the Shadow used to live. He managed to save some of the people in the Coast and repel part of the attack."

"Are you sure?" Keria gasped, bringing her hands up to her cheeks and making little fists.

"Of course I'm sure." Torn took a small step closer to her, frowning in concern.

"Keira, what's wrong?"

"That's…that's my home-I lived _there_!" she replied, her voice catching in her throat.

Torn couldn't help laughing. That was impossible. But Keira refused to believe him, and she snatched Torn's hand in hers. Her grip was so hard, her knuckles were white.

"That is my house, Torn. That's my father's house!!"

"Keira, I don't think-"

She spun to face him, her expression grave, green eyes wide. Tears were beginning to well up, and they shined in the brightly in the moonlight.

"How do we get up there?!"

It was more of a command than a question. Torn couldn't say no to the look of desperation in her eyes. The former Krimzon Guard nodded wordlessly. With his hand still clenched in hers, he backtracked through the wreckage, squeezing between piles of criss-crossed support beams. After shoving a few rocks and decaying plants from his path, he was able to stand up straight. Keira followed, her expression a combination of fear, sadness and disbelief.

"Here it is," Torn said quietly, "The Old House…"

Keria's hand squeezed his, then let go running ahead toward the dilapidated hut. She put her hands over her mouth and shook her head. Her eyes brimmed with tears and as she looked back at Torn, he could see them slide down her cheek.

"I used to live here," she repeated in a quivering voice, walking gingerly up the planks leading to the hill. Torn followed, not knowing what else to do.

Keira sobbed, jogging up to what Torn remembered was the Sage's workshop of sorts. He sold several things there, each involving green eco in some way usually having some sort of medical purpose. Torn also recalled with a smirk how Mik had come to the shop one day with a bag of rocks he'd painted to look like Orbs; the Sage would gladly take them in exchange for a prize of sorts. But he saw right through Mik's scam and- with one flick of his wrist- made a tiny fern sprout from the top of Mik's head. It stayed there for a week, and Torn's brother never tried to cheat anyone again.

But that was a long time ago, and something about the house rang familiarity with Keira. Clearly it troubled her, and she now stood in the workshop, hugging herself. Her eyes scanned the scarred wooden floor and the scattered tools that were beginning to rust from exposure to rain. She hardly acknowledged Torn's presence after he walked behind her, kicking up a small cloud of dust as he went.

"This was my garage- this is where I built the A-Grav zoomer," Keria murmured softly, her voice still trembling, "This was where we reassembled the Rift Gate…"

Torn couldn't understand how any of this was even plausible, yet there was something about the way she said all these things; clearly she was remembering them from somewhere. Keria suddenly gasped again, running further into the shop.

"My bedroom! Oh, Torn…this was my bedroom!"

She fell to her knees in front of a ruined doorway, clawing at a pile of rubble that prevented her from entering.

"Keira…"

"I have to see it, Torn!"

"No, it's dangerous!" he said, more forcibly this time.

Keira wouldn't have it. She kicked at a cinder block and it shot out from underneath the pile with a grating scrape. The wall crumbled and Keira forced her way through. Torn reached for her, but she was already inside, and he watched through a gap in the ruins curiously. Keria sobbed, her hands on her cheeks as she gazed around the room. She sank into a pathetic-seeming bed by a blown out window, her head in her hands. Torn couldn't stand to see her this way. He tried to go after her, but he was too big to wedge through.

"Get out of there, kid," he advised.

She didn't respond, instead falling down on her hands and knees, searching under the bed for something. Torn could hear her coughing from the dust as she crawled completely beneath the bed. He pursed his lips.

"Keira."

He heard the sharp snapping of wood, followed by a muffled swear. He sighed in frustration, crossing his arms. Keria straightened up, squeezing back through the hole she had previously made. A small box was clenched in her hands.

"You still don't believe me, do you?" she asked Torn, her voice coarse from the dust.

"You're starting to worry me," was the reply.

Keria shook her head, so hard her hair went flying back and forth.

"Just _look_, Torn! This is my keepsake box- mine! Not anyone else's- my father wasn't even supposed to look in it, okay?"

Torn watched her pry open the weakened wood with a shaking hand. His eyes widened; Keria sobbed again, and she pulled out an object gently.

"This is a seashell, from when I found our swimming spot…" she searched again, a tear dripping from her cheek, "This is a necklace that the sculptor in our village made me; he had a Muse, too. She was a pesky little thing…"

Torn couldn't believe it. He shook his head as Keira rummage through the box once again. It was apparent the Sage had no idea about the secret storage space under the bed. Keira had pulled out something to show him- a wilted plant with browning leaves and crinkly petals. She let out a half-laugh.

"This was a weed my friend Daxter gave to me on my birthday- he thought it was a flower."

Torn smirked, but he still found it hard to believe what Keira was saying; how could he know she was telling the truth? But she seemed so earnest about everything…

She was reaching for something else, having dropped the 'flower' back into the box. Keira bit her lip as her hand closed around a small leather bound book. Tucking the container under an arm, she carefully took the book in her palms and opened it, hearing the binding crinkle as she did so. She sniffed back a fresh wave of tears as she flipped through the worn yellowing pages. Gently, she passed it on to Torn.

"That was my journal," she told him weakly, "The last time I wrote in it was two years ago- or at least, in relative terms…"

Torn flipped through the pages carefully, his eyes scanning the slightly curved handwriting, smiling slightly at the distracted drawings he found- hearts, stars and scribbles. There were actual drawings of machinery, things she was building and places she'd visited. A quickly sketched drawing of a windmill came into view, complete with birds and palm trees. Shaky-lined doodles of people were also visible. Torn stared at it a long while, it finally dawned on him that Keria _was_ right…somehow. He closed the journal with a small snap, slinging an arm around Keira's shoulders as he handed it back to her.

"I'm sorry I brought you here," he said, his voice low with regret.

Keira shook her head, wiping her eyes. "No, it's okay, Torn. I'm kinda glad you did, actually."

"Really?"

"Yeah," Keria nodded, running a hand over her journal, "Now I know what happened. We're…" she sighed, shaking her head again. "_I'm_ in the future- somehow."

They walked up the small boardwalk to the Sage's actual hut. Torn gripped Keira's shoulder soothingly.

"I still don't understand how that is, but…I believe you."

"Thank-you," Keria replied, smiling gently.

She sobered up at the sight of the entrance to the hut, leaning slightly against Torn as she looked up at the rafters. The building was charred and twisted; the windows were blown inward and a thick layer of dust caked the floor. Keria bit her nails to stop a new wave of tears. Torn's grip on her shoulder softened.

"Can I go inside?"

"I don't see why not."

Keria stepped inside carefully inside, her boots making the distressed boards creak. She still held the keepsake box in her hands as she gazed around the space, remembering how there used to be a large tree in front of her; how she used to be able to see the ocean on the outside of those windows, Misty Island sitting in the distance like a bad omen. She let out a shaking sigh, moving to sit where the tree used to be, the items sliding inside the box. Torn took a seat beside her, his uniform scratching against the wood. They sat in silence for a moment, listening to the faint lapping of the foul water below them and the distant sounds of the city behind them.

"I know what I'm fighting for," Keira suddenly said, "And I think I know what you're fighting for, too."

"Well, what is it?" Torn asked her, a faint curve to his lips.

Keria looked over at him, setting her box across her knees.

"Mik."

Torn avoided her eyes, crossing his arms. "…Yeah, you are right…"

He looked across the ruins of Haven Coast and continued. "Mik would be seventeen, if he were still with me. God…I can just imagine him, though. I think you'd like 'im, actually- you guys are pretty close in personality, only your more of a pain in the ass."

Keria made a face and nudged him with her elbow. Torn actually smiled.

"Anyway, in case you were wondering…that's why I didn't let you join the Underground. I couldn't lose someone so much like my brother again- and it doesn't help that you're a likeable kid."

It was Keira's turn to laugh. "Thanks, Torn."

"I'm serious. I lost my parents when I was thirteen, and it was hard enough for me to handle Mik as it was; try raising a three-year-old on your own. Mik had such strong memories of our mother, but it wasn't the same for our father. I was the only father figure he had- can you understand me not wanting to mess that up?"

"Oh, of course," Keria said softly, nodding.

Torn heaved a sigh, hugging his knees. "After what happened, I made a promise not to put anyone I cared about in a situation like that- ever. But you're so damn persistent, Keira."

She smiled at him, watching as he reached behind his head, as if about to scratch it. Instead, he unhooked a small chain from around his neck and piled it into her palm. Keria looked down at the necklace curiously, clinking two items together. _Dog tags_.

"Torn, what-?"

"It's just gonna have to do until I can officially accept you as a member," he answered with a smirk.

Keria looked up at him, her eyes wide in excitement. "So I'm in?! I'm an agent?!"

"Yeah. You know what you're fighting for, don't you?"

She beamed and clamped him in an abrupt hug, which he returned to her surprise. Torn laughed when they parted, tousling her hair. Keria slipped on the tags, loving the sound they made as they clattered together around her neck. She looked over at Torn with a pointed look and smirked.

"There's just one more thing I know…"

"What's that?" Torn grunted, narrowing his eyes.

"…Before we left, Tess called you something. She called you, Max, I believe. What's that supposed to mean?"

Torn winced, as if she had sworn in front of him. He heaved another sigh and massaged his forehead with a hand. Practically mumbling, as if the words pained him to be said, Torn replied,

"Max…is...ugh. It's my real name."

Keria giggled. "No kidding?!"

Torn rolled his eyes. "Nope. Unfortunately, I'm not kidding. It's my real name, but uh- I hardly go by it. Only Tess and Mik ever really called me that."

Keria giggled again, banging her heels slightly on the boards. Torn scowled.

"You shouldn't have told me that! HA! I'm _so_ going to blackmail you now!"

Torn growled. Keria leaned against him, her head on his shoulder. Her hand went to the tags hanging around her neck and she fingered them noisily, smiling at what she'd learned. Torn suddenly punched her in the arm, and she cried out.

"Ow! What the _hell _was that for?!" she demanded, rubbing the spot.

Torn laughed. "For stealing my papers, that's what."

Keria glared at him, but leaned back against him anyway. Torn shook his head and slung his arm around her shoulders once again.

"You should thank me for stealing them," Keira muttered under her breath.

"What?"

She sighed. "Never-mind…"

They watched the moon rise high over the city, the Palace lights gleaming above them light strange beacons. Keira gently tapped her hands on her box of keepsakes and edged closer to Torn.

"Keira?" he suddenly said.

"Hm?"

"No word of this to the guys…or Ashelin, alright?"

Keira giggled a final time, hitting the back of his hand lightly. She looked up at him and grinned.

"You've got it, 'tough guy.'"


	21. Epilogue

**Two months later…**

Another long night had seen him sleeping in, and with that came a lingering since of regret. Ever since they'd lost the child once again to the Underground, the Commander hardly ever had the time to relax, let alone sleep. He found himself ignoring the Baron's latest round of ridiculous orders to arrest random children, and turned down offers to head out on missions for artifacts pertaining to the Tomb of Mar.

There was solace in racing, at least.

Errol left his apartment close to the stadium and headed for the KG Fortress, where he needed to be present for the latest round of Dark Eco injections the Baron inflicted constantly on the young man they'd been using for two years. Onin had informed them he would be…different, but nothing had changed. There had been only a brief time in the beginning, when Errol had felt something like pity towards the boy; now it was just a sense of disgust and anger at what the Eco had done to him. He feared the Dark Warrior Program had completely failed, and he wasn't afraid to tell Praxis this fact, either.

Fleetingly, his thoughts went to Torn and the Underground. They were winning, weren't they? They were getting smarter, stealthier; no one had noticed the agents who had stole several valuable things from the Barracks, and each time Errol felt the hatred surge upon discovering they'd fooled him yet again. And then he thought of Phoenix, at what he would have thought of all this…

The coolness of the Fortress suddenly washed over him and he winced, having been used to the heat of the day. With a light sigh, he turned to one of the security doors and punched in his recruit number and pass code. There were a few beeps and a light flashed from red to green as a computerized voice said, _Welcome, Commander Errol_. He closed his eyes for a brief moment and stepped into the prison, where Praxis was already waiting for him.

And it started once again.

The boy's screams had faded away now, and Errol watched with a passive look as he gasped the air back into his lungs. The computer had yet to tell them about his current status, but Errol already knew the answer. He tilted his head slightly, sneering at the boy lying shackled to the chair. Strands of blond fell into his face and his eyes were closed as he attempted to gain back some of his strength. Errol pursed his lips as the Baron prowled back and forth in front of him. The computer spoke in its monotone female voice.

"_Dark Eco injection cycle complete. Bio readings nominal and unchanged_."

Errol held back rolling his eyes and chewed on his tongue as Praxis growled with disbelief. The Commander's eyes fell once again to the wounded, now resting young man, and slightly shook his head. It was apparent failure loomed over them like a shadow. Errol forced away a disgruntled sigh and gathered up his courage to inform the Baron that which he'd known for years now.

It was just another day; another failure.

*******

The afternoon sun filtered in through the awning that hung heavily above, the ends of the tattered canvas floating gently in the breeze. Rays of light slanted through the holes in the buildings; birds cawed from somewhere above. There was a strong smell of dirt and dampness, but none of these things fazed Torn any longer. He sat cross-legged on a small lopsided pier, which had once not been too far from his old home in Haven Coast. Each time he found the place, he half-expected Mik to come back, but he knew that wouldn't happen. He sat there and stared out critically across the pool of dirty water, watching it form puddles in the crumbling ground. With a small sigh, he leaned back slightly and balanced his arms on his knees.

The scrape of footsteps caught his attention and he smirked, knowing exactly who it was.

"Hey, Keira."

She pouted, crossing her arms. "How'd you know?"

Torn turned to face her, raising his eyebrows. She stood above him at an angle, regarding him with a curious look.

"How could I not? Pick up your feet when you walk, kid."

Keria made a face and plopped down beside him, causing the boards to groan slightly underneath them. She blew the bangs from her eyes and kicked her legs over the edge of the dock. The dogtags clinked as she fiddled with the chain absent-mindedly.

"Everything went okay I hear," Torn said. "Apparently, Syd likes taking you on missions- keeps requesting you for a lot of 'em."

Keria smiled, recognizing Torn's hidden comment. "Well, I like Syd. She was great for the one last night- those KG zoomers are completely out of commission, thanks to my lucky monkey wrench. _Plus_, I got the Underground some new car parts and one of those nifty remote control missile turrets you can mount on to a car…not that I'm an advocate of violence, but when you need it- it's there."

She shrugged and Torn nodded in approval. He tapped his fingers thoughtfully on his knees, focusing his attention back on to the ruins of Dead Town.

"…So what are you doing back out here?" Keira asked him carefully.

"I gotta clear something up," answered the ex-Guard.

Before Keria could question him further, Torn's radio crackled from his belt. He had made it a habit to keep the damn thing close by so that if there was an emergency, he'd know about it. He didn't feel like repeating the past…

"Torn, here. What's up?"

The radio crackled with static briefly before Ashelin's voice sounded.

"There's just been a prison break- it's code red across the entire city," she informed them, "Patrols are being sent to your area of the slums, so I'd watch out for cruisers. Thankfully, there aren't many zoomers for them to use, so you have some time."

Torn exchanged surprised looks with Keira before turning back to the radio.

"This has gotta be a first," he said, "Do we have a description of the prisoner yet?"

"No, but from what I'm hearing it's just a kid."

Torn shook his head. Praxis wasn't above arresting teenagers for simple things like riding JET-Boards or spray-painting art on the city walls. The Underground had taken in several orphans and teens within the past few years.

"Alright. I'll have someone direct whoever it is to the hideout; I'll be able to tell if they're Underground material or not."

"Okay," Ashelin agreed, "I have to go- I can't keep this channel secured for much longer. I'll try and stall them as long as I can, and don't forget that the Kid is still up and about on the streets with Kor."

"Right."

Ashelin abruptly ended the transmission and the radio picked up a batch of static. Keria had a confused look across her face as Torn turned to speak to her, replacing the comlink on his belt.

"I want you to head back to the city and have Hector give you a ride back to the stadium; until I figure out who this kid is, I don't want you anywhere near him, got it?"

Keira nodded, biting her lip. "Sure…I appreciate your concern, I guess."

Torn smirked, gripping her shoulder comfortingly. They rose to their feet, Keira taking one last look at the ruins of Dead Town. Letting out a small sigh and folding her arms over her midriff, she smirked at Torn and said,

"I'll see ya around. Keep in touch- let me know if Syd wants to go on a joyride to the KG garage again."

"Sure thing. I'm sure she'll be glad to hear that."

Keira smiled and turned on her heel, trudging back toward the city wall, kicking up small clouds of dirt as she went. Torn watched her go, shaking his head. When she had disappeared behind the airlock door, he turned back to walk over the dock, fishing into his pockets for something. Gently, he pulled out two tiny flowers Tess had given him that morning- orange lilies, the kind she used to put all over their house in the Coast. Torn sighed, watching as the wind gently bent the petals in his palm.

"…Sorry I haven't talked more about you, Miky," he said quietly to the emptiness, "I've been a little distracted, but I'm sure you'd understand; you were always a good kid…I never told you that enough." Torn looked up at the unusually blue sky, a few rays of sunlight spilling down through the awning nearby.

"And I'm sorry. But how funny is it that by some peculiar twist of fate, I've made a friend out of the _one _teenage kid who would act so much like you? I'm sure you'd like Keira," he sighed, and the breath caught in his throat. "I really wish you were here, Mik. I really do…"

Torn let the lilies drop from his fingers and watched as they fell lightly into the water, bobbing up and down softly with each ripple. He smiled gently.

"See ya around, Mik…"

The soldier walked one final time through the ruins of his city, and went back to the war.

**Author's Note: Well, it's finally the end! I can't believe it, it's taken months! But it was all worth it, I'm pretty sure. ;) Hope you have enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed writing it, and I appreciate the fact you've read this far!! Thank you so much, dear readers. And I'd like to give a shout out to The Beckster and Grey Jedi for all their help, comments and encouragement. H a ha. :D Tell me what you liked, I'm up for it- And thanks so much! Until next time, everyone! ~Captain Hilts. **


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